Wounded
by hollyg3
Summary: A Spixie love story. Spinelli convinces Maxie she is worthy of love. In the meantime Spinelli's backstory is explored. Angst and romance!
1. Chapter 1

WARNING: Although the rest of this story is rated T, I wanted to give this chapter an M rating, for sexual content. This first chapter is basically about Spixie's first night on the couch. It's very tame compared to my other stuff, but I wanted to let you know before you started reading. If love scenes bother you, go ahead and skip to the next chapter. (If you would like to read my more adult fiction you can find it at my website supersoapfans dot com under Spinelli's World. I also post chapters pretty quick at supersoapfans.livejournal dot com.)

--

Maxie looked into Spinelli's eyes. They were flooded with concern for her. She had just frantically told him everything about Logan's attack, Lu Lu's self defense and Johnny's cover up. She needed to know that no matter what happened her best friend in the world would help her through it.

"You're safe now," Spinelli breathed, pulling her close and resting his chin on her head. His hands rubbed her back and Maxie could feel the tension leave her body. She melted against him and let him just hold her for the longest time. When she finally looked back up at him he smiled down at her. "Are you okay?" He asked seriously, without a hint of the Jackal.

"I am now," she said. And she knew it was true. She always felt better when she was with Spinelli. She longed to be more like him, so childlike and innocent, seeing the world as a wondrous place where anything was possible. She was momentarily lost in his eyes. She wondered if it was possible. Suddenly she leaned in and pressed her lip to his. The kiss was tentative at first, but when his lips softened and his hands touched her face she wanted more. She flicked her tongue out to taste him and she felt his body flinch. But he didn't stop her. She deepened the kiss, moving her tongue skillfully into his mouth. He followed her lead, matching her every movement. He tasted like orange soda. She giggled.

Spinelli pulled back. "Did I do something--?"

Maxie interrupted by pulling him into another kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and moved onto his lap, pressing him down into the sofa cushions. She ignored his whimpers, fully aware that she was taking advantage. But that's who she was. She always got what she wanted. To hell with the consequences. And she wanted him. Now. She wanted him to flood her with innocence and make her whole again. Not caring where they were or who might walk in on them she ripped open her blouse and brought Spinelli's trembling hands to her lace covered breasts. He touched her so gently she wanted to scream in frustration. She snapped open the front clasp of her bra.

Spinelli gasped. His hands moved slowly over her milky skin, still too gentle for her taste. She was about to tell him what to do when he suddenly sat up and put his mouth to her. Oh God, that felt good! She arched back and let him devour her. He was starving! She couldn't wait any longer. She grabbed the front of his shorts and opened them in one quick movement. Before Spinelli could say a word she straddled him. He gasped. Maxie cried out as she lowered her body onto his. He filled her completely, something she hadn't expected. She felt him bury his face in her neck. At first she thought he was crying, but when his teeth scraped along her sensitive skin she lost all control.

Sometime later Maxie lay sprawled on top of Spinelli. Everything happened so fast they never bothered to remove their clothes. She looked up at him. Sleeping like a baby. But he was no child. She smiled wickedly. Suddenly she realized what she had done. She had taken their relationship to a place she never wanted to go. She started to imagine all the ways she would eventually destroy him…the way she destroyed everything good in her life. A tear slid down her cheek. "I can't let that happen." She stood up and adjusted her skirt and tried to fix her blouse. She must've wanted him bad to forget she was wearing designer clothes. She watched her friend sleep, letting a few more tears fall. She didn't feel whole. She felt like a worthless user. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

Spinelli stretched and rubbed his eyes. Maxie tried to return his smile when he looked up at her. "My love," he said.

She shook her head. "Please don't call me that. This was a mistake. You probably hate me now and I wouldn't blame you. But I just hope you can forgive me—"

Just then the front door swung open and Jason stepped inside. He froze, glancing from Maxie holding her shirt closed to Spinelli sprawled on the sofa. "I interrupted something, didn't I?"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"I gotta go," Maxie stammered as she ran out, leaving a stunned and speechless Spinelli in her wake.

--


	2. Chapter 2

Jason watched Maxie slam the door behind her before turning back to Spinelli. "You're gonna catch flies if you don't shut your mouth." He chuckled.

Spinelli squeezed his lips together and covered himself with a nearby blanket.

"I'd ask what happened, but it's pretty obvious. Congratulations." Jason headed for the stairs.

"Ah… Master Stone Cold? Your Grasshopper is in need of some sage advice."

Jason sighed. "What is it?" He turned back around and his look of irritation turned to concern. "Are you crying?"

Spinelli wiped angrily at his tears. "Why would Maximista run out like that?"

"I guess I missed something. Did you two have sex or not?"

"We joined bodies and souls, becoming one with the entire universe!"

Jason rolled his eyes. "I'll take that as a yes."

"But just now she apologized and said it was a mistake! Why would she say that? Could it be that the Jackal was not man enough?"

Jason opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off.

"Wait! NO! That cannot be--" Spinelli rambled. "for not once, but twice did the fair Maximista cry out in ecstasy the name of her beloved!"

Jason cringed. "Okay, you can spare me the details—"

"Mine." Spinelli sighed with a sad smile. "And yet now I am a mistake… a bad choice… a deep regret… a moment never to be spoken of again!" He stood up clutching the blanket around him and raised his eyes upward. "I have loved and lost all in the space of one evening, raised to the heights of nirvana only to be dashed upon the rocks of Hades." He lowered his head.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what to tell you. Maybe she's just confused."

"That makes two of us." He looked at Jason with tired eyes. "The Jackal shall retire to his regrettably pink room to cry himself to sleep. Adieu."

Jason watched Spinelli trudge up the stairs. "I know just how you feel,kid," he murmured.

--

Sam McCall jumped at the sound of pounding on her door. "I'm coming! Geez!" She looked through the peephole. "Maxie?" She flung open the door.

"Thank God!" Maxie burst into the room talking a mile a minute. "I'm freaking out! I can't believe I did that to him. And I swore I would never do that! You heard me say that, didn't you? He's my best friend in the whole world and now he's never gonna speak to me again. I threw it all away in one moment of desperation and selfishness. But that's who I am. Love 'em and kill 'em Maxie!"

Sam watched Maxie pace back and forth while she rambled on. "I… take it you did something to Spinelli? And now you think he hates you?"

"He does. I know he does! I hate myself right now, too." Maxie grabbed a pillow off the sofa and buried her face in it. She muffled a scream.

"God, Maxie, what did you do to him?"

Maxie peeked over the top of the pillow at Sam's horrified expression. "I seduced him," she whispered.

Sam squinted at her. "Did you just say you seduced him?"

Maxie turned away, before she could see Sam smile. She paced the floor again. "I'm so ashamed! What am I gonna do? How can I face him after this?"

Sam watched her young friend who was obviously in distress, but she couldn't help giggling. She covered her mouth and stopped herself, putting on a serious face when the girl turned back around. "Maxie, sit down." Sam yanked her by the arm.

Maxie fell onto the sofa. She leaned her head on Sam's shoulder.

Sam put her arm around Maxie and stroked her hair. "Let's just take a step back for a moment, okay? First I have to ask you one thing. How was it?"

Maxie looked at her in shock. "Sam!"

"What? I'm curious!"

Maxie thought for a moment. "Wonderful. I would have to classify tonight as the best sex I've ever had."

"Really? Spinelli? Wow!"

"I'm not saying he's the world's greatest lover or anything. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if it was his first time. But I've never felt so loved and cherished before. He really made me feel beautiful."

"Sounds like heaven. What's the problem?"

"I'm the problem! If we get involved I'm going to mess things up. I always do."

"Maxie, just because you've had bad luck in the past doesn't mean this time will end up the same way."

"I don't want to take the chance."

"Or maybe you feel like you don't deserve a chance?"

Maxie was thoughtful for a moment. "I gotta get home. Thanks for listening. Sam."

"Anytime."

--

Spinelli curled up into a ball on his bed and clutched a pillow to his chest. He stroked the fabric gently. "Maxie," he sighed as a tear trickled down his cheek.

--

Maxie curled up into a ball on her bed, holding her pillow close. She laid her head on it and pretended it was Spinelli's warm body. She ran her hand along the silky smoothness, closing her eyes and remembering how good he had made her feel. It was a shame she would never feel that again. She sobbed into the pillow until sleep finally took her.


	3. Chapter 3

Spinelli stared into his giant bowl of Fruit Loops and sighed. He took a bite and chewed slowly. He didn't notice the knock at the door until the third rap. He shook his head and got up to open it.

"Hey, Spinelli," Sam greeted sweetly.

"Fair Samantha?" He smiled. "To what do I owe the honor of this early morning visit?"

"I was concerned about you."

"Why would you be worrying about The Jackal?" He beckoned her inside. "The Asian Ague is but a mere memory and--"

"Maxie stopped by last night," Sam blurted.

Spinelli froze. "She did?" He gulped.

"Are you okay?" Sam touched his arm gently.

"I suppose I should be. The woman of my dreams chose me to be her lover. Me," he laughed sadly. "No matter that it was only for one evening--" He hung his head and dropped onto the sofa. "--and that she was sorry it ever happened. You know, I really thought we connected, that I had done everything right. But I suppose my inexperience allowed me to see what I wanted to see. I was obviously a complete and utter failure."

"Spinelli, you're wrong." Sam sat next to him. He gave her a confused stare. "That's not what she was sorry about. I don't mean to betray her trust, but I didn't want you thinking badly of yourself. I know how important last night must have been for you."

"It was all I had ever imagined and more…until…"

"She's just scared, Spinelli." Sam took his hand in hers. "Maxie believes that anybody she gets involved with is going to get hurt. She hasn't had the best track record when it comes to men."

"She would never hurt me."

"Not intentionally. But she would rather have you as a friend than take a chance on losing you forever. Look, Spinelli, I love both of you and want you to be happy. I think Maxie feels she doesn't deserve to be."

Spinelli sat up straight. "Then The Jackal will have to convince her otherwise."

Sam smiled brightly. "I was hoping you'd say that."

-

Maxie entered the Crimson office to find Lu Lu already working. She was obviously trying to go about her life as if nothing was wrong, like she didn't kill Logan and let Johnny and Claudia cover it up. Maxie sat down at her own desk.

"Wow, Maxie, you look like crap!"

Maxie glared at Lu Lu. "Gee, thanks!" She knew Lu Lu was right, though. She had barely slept last night and couldn't bear to look at herself in the mirror this morning. She wasn't even sure what she was wearing.

Lu Lu leaned towards her. "I'm doing my best to act like everything is fine, okay. You're not helping matters by showing up here looking all messed up."

"I'm sorry. I had a difficult night." Maxie pulled out a compact and cringed at her reflection. There were dark circles under her eyes and her hair wasn't even combed. She took a mini makeup kit from her desk drawer and stood up. "I'm going to the ladies room." She walked away.

A few minutes later the elevator doors rang and Lu Lu turned to see Spinelli. He was wearing a stylish blue suit. "Whoa! You look hot!"

Spinelli spun around, modeling his attire. "The Jackal appreciates The Blonde One's kind words. How are you?" He watched her closely.

"I'm fine." She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

Spinelli nodded, but said nothing. He glanced around. "Where is Maximista?"

"She's in the bathroom fixing her face. She said she had a difficult night. It really showed. I've never seen her looking anything less than perfect, ya know?" She waved her hands at Spinelli's suit. "So what's the occasion?"

"I am dressed to impress."

"Maxie?"

Spinelli smiled shyly and shrugged.

"Please be careful. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I appreciate your concern, but it is unnecessary."

Before Lu Lu could respond, Maxie walked in. She saw Spinelli and nearly tripped over her own feet.

"Maximista."

Maxie felt her heart skip a beat. She tried to act like he wasn't affecting her, like nothing had changed between them. But he looked so delicious! She plastered a fake smile on her face. "Hey, Spinelli! How can I eat you, ah, HELP you! How can I help you?" She felt her face burn and walked to her desk, silently cursing herself. She reached for a file folder and knocked a stack of papers onto the floor. She scrambled to pick them up and knocked her head on the edge of the desk, falling on her butt. "Dammit!" She rubbed her head.

Spinelli rushed to her side and gently touched the spot on her head she had bumped. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Maxie lied. She babbled about not getting enough sleep and skipping breakfast, wondering if it sounded as lame as she thought.

Lu Lu's mouth dropped open. "What the hell is going on? It's like the two of you have swapped personalities or something!"

Spinelli ignored Lu Lu and helped Maxie to her feet. "We need to talk."

Maxie avoided his gaze. "What about?"

"Don't pretend like nothing happened."

"Spinelli, please—"

"No. I know you're scared. But I have enough faith for both of us."

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "You don't want to get involved with me, Spinelli. I'm poison."

"No, you're not. You've just had a little bad luck. But that's going to change." He stroked her cheek. "I will make it so."

Maxie could barely breathe. Spinelli was standing so close to her she could smell him. Her mouth watered. She gulped. He leaned in and gently pressed his lips to hers. She melted against him with a whimper and wrapped her arms around his neck. His kiss was sweet and tender, but she wanted more. She tugged at his hair and parted her lips to taste him more fully. They were both getting lost in the kiss until Lu Lu cleared her throat. They stepped apart nervously.

"Okay, now I really must be losing my mind." Lu Lu stared at them in shock.

Spinelli smiled down at Maxie. "Have dinner with me tonight."

She beamed back at him. "Okay."

He lifted her hand to his lips, keeping his eyes locked with hers the entire time. Then he backed away and turned to leave. Once the elevator doors closed and he was alone, Spinelli released the breath he'd been holding. He quietly cheered and did a little happy dance.

Maxie stared at the elevator doors for a few moments, marveling at the confident young man Spinelli had suddenly become. Maybe he was right and her luck was changing after all.

"So you and Spinelli are a couple now? When did this happen?"

"Last night."

"Oh my god! You had sex with him, didn't you?"

"Lu Lu, don't take this personally, but it's really none of your business."

"If you break his heart I will make your life a living hell."

Maxie felt a twinge of guilt. She hoped she was making the right decision.


	4. Chapter 4

Spinelli rushed into the apartment and slammed the door, startling Jason.

"Where were you? And why are you dressed like that?"

"I went to see Maximista." Spinelli grinned from ear to ear, brushing off his suit with pride.

"By the look on your face, I take it things went well."

"I was supremely confident and went after what I wanted." He bounced up and down on his toes. "And I got it!" He giggled.

Jason patted him on the back. "I'm happy for you. But do you think we can get some work done?"

"The Jackal is at your service!" Spinelli sat down at the desk and opened up his laptop.

-

Maxie stared at the clock. It was almost time to leave for the day. Spinelli had called a few minutes earlier and asked her to meet him at The Metro Court in a couple hours. She smiled to herself. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so giddy. It was good that Kate and Lu Lu had already left. She imagined she looked pretty ridiculous. She was wondering whether to go home and change or just buy something fabulous from the boutique downstairs. The elevator rang and she turned to see Claudia Zacchara.

"Hello, Maxie. Are we alone?" She looked around. "I need to speak with you about our little arrangement."

"Claudia. Hi. Listen, I've been meaning to talk to you about that. I--"

The dark haired siren held up her hand to stop her. "I need you to step things up a little."

"I'm sorry, I changed my mind. I can't help you."

"Excuse me?" Claudia gave her a withering glare.

"I can't seduce your brother."

"Uh no, I don't think so, Maxie. You will follow through with our agreement."

"Excuse me? I'm not a prostitute!"

"Coulda fooled me! You were willing to sleep with my brother for money! What the hell do you call that?"

"Look, I wanted to do it, and not just for the money. I like Johnny and I hated Lu Lu. But things have changed. Plus I'm sort of seeing someone. I don't want to hurt him."

"You're seeing somebody? Who?"

Maxie shrugged. "Not that it's any of your business, but I'm going out with Spinelli."

Claudia laughed. "You and Spinelli?" She shook her head. "Whatever. Fine. You don't have to have sex with Johnny. Just make it look like you did." She pulled out a small glass vial full of white powder. "Slip this into his drink and put yourself in a compromising position. I'll make sure Lu Lu shows up. There's a room key waiting for you at the front desk. Johnny will meet you in room 428 in one hour."

"But I have plans tonight!"

"Then work fast!" Claudia held out the drug.

Maxie hesitated, but took it from her. "And if I refuse?"

"Do you really want to find out?" Claudia smiled sweetly and walked away.

Maxie felt sick to her stomach.

-

One hour later, Spinelli walked into the Metro Court lobby. He wanted to meet with Jax about tonight's special dinner arrangements. He saw Maxie at the front desk and tried to catch her attention but she ran off before noticing him. She had a card key in her hand! She got them a room? He excitedly ran up to the man behind the counter. "Hi Marty!"

"Hey Spinelli, what's up?"

"Special plans with Maximista tonight," he said happily.

Marty looked at him in confusion. "You and Maxie?"

"Indeed." Spinelli was about to explode with excitement. "Would you tell me which room she just acquired?"

"Um, yeah… it was 428."

"Most grateful thanks," Spinelli said as he half twirled away.

Marty shook his head in amusement.

Spinelli decided to change his plans. Dinner in their own private room would be much more romantic than the balcony at the Metro Court. He smiled brightly and headed to the gift shop.

-

Maxie entered the room and found it already set up for a seduction scene. Claudia sure worked fast. There were candles lit and champagne chilling. She poured a couple glasses. Johnny would be there any minute. With shaky hands she spilled the white powder into the full glass. She kept hers half empty so she could easily identify them. She heard the door and quickly set the glass down.

"Maxie?" Johnny called out. "You needed to see me about Lu Lu?"

Maxie took a deep breath and turned to face him. "Yeah, she's been acting crazy. I'm really worried about her."

Johnny looked around. "Why meet here? Hey, wait a minute? Are you trying to seduce me? Cuz I'll tell you right now I'm totally committed to Lu Lu."

Maxie cleared her throat and tried to think up some excuse. "Oh! No, I uh… Spinelli is meeting me here later."

Johnny's eyes widened. "You and Spinelli?"

"Why does everybody keep saying that?" She shook her head and sat on the bed. "I think Lu Lu's about to crack. I don't know if she can keep the secret about Logan's death anymore. What are we gonna do?"

"Maybe I could get her outta town for a little while so Claudia can frame somebody else." He sat down on the bed next to her.

"That's a great idea!" Maxie jumped up and grabbed her Champagne glass, taking a sip. She picked up the other glass. "Want some?"

Johnny shrugged. He took the drink and gulped it down in one swig.

That was almost too easy. Within a few seconds Johnny was obviously feeling the effects of the drug. He shook his head and rubbed his face. "You okay?" Maxie asked. "You look weird."

"I feel weird," he admitted.

"Maybe you should lie down for a minute. It's okay. Spinelli won't be here for another hour or so."

Johnny followed her advice and rested his head on the pillow. "Maybe… for just a… minute." He was out cold as soon as the words left his mouth.

Maxie went to work. She removed Johnny's shirt and managed to get him under the covers. Then she opened the door a crack, got undressed and slipped into bed beside him. "Hurry up, Lu Lu," she grumbled, wanting to get this over with. She heard the door open and pulled Johnny's arm around her. "Oh, Johnny," she moaned and giggled. She heard a gasp and turned around in surprise. Spinelli was standing there looking like he'd been punched in the gut. A bouquet of red roses slipped from his hand as he slowly backed away. Maxie sat up holding the sheet over herself. "Spinelli, wait! Let me explain!"

He didn't seem to hear her, but he couldn't turn away. He bumped into a wall, startling himself. He shook his head and ran out the door with a small cry.

"Spinelli!" Maxie yelled. She wanted to go after him, to tell him she wanted only him and that this wasn't what it looked like, but she knew he would be long gone by the time she got dressed. She might as well stay and finish the stupid plan. She would explain things later. She only hoped he would believe her. If he didn't it would probably be what she deserved for going along with Claudia in the first place. Maxie lay back and wiped the tears from her eyes.

-

Lu Lu was about to enter the hotel when Spinelli came stumbling out another door. He looked like he was crying. She called to him, but he just ran. She watched in stunned silence as he ran out into the street. At that moment a car came speeding around the corner. "Spinelli, watch out!" Too late. The driver tried to slow down, but the impact threw Spinelli head first into another car. He lay sprawled in the middle of the road. A crowd gathered, but Lu Lu pushed through them and dropped to his side. "Spinelli, talk to me!" She touched his battered face with a trembling hand. A pool of blood formed beneath his head. "Oh, god. Oh, god. Don't you dare die on me!" Sirens wailed in the distance. She closed her eyes and prayed.

-

Maxie glanced at the clock. Lu Lu should've been here awhile ago. If she didn't hurry up, Johnny might come to and the whole plan would be a bust. Suddenly her phone rang. She took a peek at the screen and saw that it was Lu Lu calling. What the hell? "Hello?"

"Maxie, it's Lu Lu. You need to get to the hospital right now!"

"Why? What happened?"

"It's Spinelli—"

Maxie didn't need to hear anything else. She dropped the phone and scrambled to get dressed. To hell with Claudia Zacchara.


	5. Chapter 5

Maxie ran through the doors, startling everyone in the ER. "Where is he? Where's Spinelli?" She yelled to nobody in particular. She could barely see through the tears in her eyes. It was a miracle she had made it to the hospital in one piece.

"Maxie," Lu Lu called out softly, walking over to her.

"What happened?" Maxie couldn't stop thinking about the last time she had seen Spinelli. He had looked so sad. She had done that to him. She numbly let Lu Lu lead her to a seat in the waiting area.

"There was an accident—"

"Was he driving?" He had been too upset to drive. Because of her.

"No," Lu Lu continued. "I had just arrived at the Metro Court and he was leaving. I called out to him, but he didn't hear me. I think he was crying."

Maxie felt sick again. She shook her head, unable to stop the tears. She had hurt him so badly.

"He walked into the street right when some guy came speeding around the corner. Everything happened so fast. God, there was so much blood."

Maxie started to sob uncontrollably. Lu Lu pulled her into an awkward hug, but Maxie pushed her away. "This is my fault… my fault… my fault," Maxie murmured over and over.

"What are you talking about? You weren't driving the car!"

Jason walked in. "What happened?"

Lu Lu told him about the accident.

"Lu Lu, I got your message!" Sam ran in and saw Maxie in tears. "Oh, honey." She sat down beside her and held her.

"It's my fault," Maxie kept babbling.

Sam glanced up at Lu Lu, who simply shrugged. "She keeps saying that, but I don't know why. Some guy was speeding and hit Spinelli as he was crossing the street."

"Has there been any word on his condition," Jason asked.

Lu Lu shook her head. "He's in surgery right now. That's all I know."

Sam rubbed Maxie's back. "Shhh, it's gonna be okay. Spinelli is one tough cookie."

Maxie pulled back and stared at Sam. "I told you this would happen. I told you! I did this to him!"

"Maxie, you're upset. You're not making any sense. It's not your fault some jackass was speeding—"

"He was upset because of me!"

"I don't get it," Jason interrupted. "Spinelli was so happy when he left. He said you were having dinner together."

"We were going to have dinner," Maxie said. "But he showed up too early. He wasn't supposed to see…" Maxie remembered the look on his face. He was so devastated. The flowers slipped from his hands. "He bought me red roses…"

Sam touched her face. "Maxie, what did Spinelli see?"

Maxie laughed. "Me… in bed with Johnny Zacchara." She looked up at Lu Lu.

Lu Lu's mouth dropped open. "What? What did you just say?" She grabbed Maxie and pulled her out of the chair, throwing her against a nearby wall.

"It was supposed to be you," Maxie chuckled. "Not Spinelli. You were supposed to walk in on us!" She stopped laughing and got angry. "Why didn't you? Why did it have to be him?"

"You bitch!" Lu Lu drew back her fist and let it fly. Maxie fell to the floor in a daze. "You slut! I was right about you all along. I warned Spinelli. I told him not to get involved with you!" She lunged at Maxie again, but Jason grabbed her arms and held her back.

"Hold on a minute," he said. "This doesn't make any sense!"

Sam helped Maxie up. "No, it doesn't! Maxie, I know how you feel about Spinelli. Why would you ruin that?"

Maxie rubbed her jaw. She welcomed the pain. She deserved it. "It's what I do, Sam." She shrugged. "Lu Lu's right. I warned Spinelli, too, but he wouldn't listen. And now look where he is." She turned to Lu Lu and smiled sadly. "Don't you have anything else to say?" She wanted Lu Lu to tell her what a horrible person she was, how she didn't deserve someone like Spinelli. She knew it already, but she wanted to hear it again.

Lu Lu relaxed against Jason and he let her go. "Something's not right here. Johnny would never cheat on me. He wanted me to meet him--"

Maxie looked away, feeling ashamed.

Lu Lu grabbed her phone. "I'm calling Johnny!"

--

Johnny awoke to the sound of ringing. "Quiet!" He held his head. "Ow." He blinked a few times and tried to focus on something, anything, in the room. "Wha--? Where am I?" He fumbled to get the phone out of his pocket. "Mmm… yeah… hello?" He rubbed his face and groaned.

"_Johnny?"_

"Lu Lu?"

"_Where are you?"_

Johnny looked around again. "I was just wondering that myself. I have no clue. It looks like a hotel room, but I don't remember… oh, wait a minute. I was meeting Maxie here to talk about— "He glanced down at his naked torso. "What the hell? Where's my shirt?"

"_Johnny, are you okay? You sound drunk."_

"I'm not drunk! I just had one glass of—" He dropped the phone and ran to the bathroom.

--

Lu Lu could hear faint growling sounds. "Johnny? What's going on? Johnny!"

"Sorry. I got really sick all of a sudden. I remember I was talking to Maxie one minute and the next minute I wake up and my shirt's gone."

"Are you okay? Do you want me to come get you?"

"I think I'm all right. I just need to splash some water on my face. Where are you?"

"I'm at the hospital. Spinelli was hurt and he's in surgery right now. I'll be here all night if you want to come by."

"Yeah, I'll be there as soon as I can."

"I love you, Johnny."

"_I love you too. See you soon."_

Lu Lu hung up and stared at Maxie in confusion. "You drugged him didn't you? What the hell is going on?"

Maxie couldn't look at her. She had gone through with Claudia's plan just like she was supposed to, but it all went wrong. Lu Lu even figured out the truth. Now Claudia was probably going to kill her. She didn't care anymore. She was so tired of her messed up life.

Sam and Jason exchanged glances, both looking equally shocked.

Sam touched Maxie's arm. "Please tell us what really happened. I don't believe for one minute that you would cheat on Spinelli or hurt him in any way."

Maxie squeezed her eyes tight. "But I did," she whispered. When she opened her eyes again she saw Claudia Zacchara walk into the ER and over to the nurse's station. Maxie felt her blood boil. There was her accomplice, the woman who set the events in motion. She ran over to Claudia at full speed and shoved her. "Did you send him? Did you?

"Get off me!" Claudia pushed Maxie away. "What the hell are you talking about" She looked across the room and saw Jason. She lowered her voice. "I heard you were here. What happened to the plan?"

"Screw the plan!" Maxie screamed. A wave of dizziness overcame her. She put her hand over her heart and dropped to the floor.

Sam rushed over. "Maxie, are you okay? I think we need a nurse over here! She has a weak heart."

Nadine grabbed a gurney and Leyla helped her lift Maxie onto it. They wheeled her away to an exam room. Sam followed them.

"Would somebody please tell me what the hell is going on?" Claudia demanded.

Lu Lu watched Maxie get taken away on a gurney then she stared at the older woman with contempt. "It was your idea wasn't it? You wanted Johnny and me apart so badly you would do anything."

Claudia smirked and shrugged. "I would do anything to protect my brother."

"Only one problem with your plan. Maxie is in love with Spinelli. She wanted to be with him, not Johnny. And now, thanks to you, she may never get the chance."

"What are you talking about?"

Jason walked over. "Spinelli's in surgery fighting for his life right now."

Claudia gasped. "Spinelli? What happened?"

"Your plan backfired, Claudia. Spinelli was the one who walked in on Maxie and Johnny. Not me."

Claudia's eyes filled with tears and she sunk into the nearest chair.

Jason kneeled beside her and whispered in her ear, "You better pray he makes it through the surgery… or you won't make it through the night."


	6. Chapter 6

Claudia was about to reply to Jason's threat when Dr. Drake burst into the waiting room.

"How's Spinelli?" Jason asked.

Lu Lu reached for Jason's arm.

Patrick paused for a moment. "I won't lie to you. He's in bad shape, the worst of it being the trauma to his head. I'm also concerned about how much blood he's lost. The lack of oxygen to his brain could cause permanent damage if we can't replace it ASAP. We're trying, but his blood type is uncommon and his body appears to be rejecting the reserves we're giving him." Patrick ran his hand through his hair. "It's a long shot, but do any of you happen to have B negative blood?"

Jason and Lu Lu shook their heads sadly.

"I do," Claudia said, a look of shock on her face.

Patrick breathed a sigh of relief. "Care to be a hero today, Miss Zacchara?"

She glanced at Jason for a moment before silently following Patrick down the hall.

Jason stared after them in disbelief.

"That was weird," Lu Lu commented. "It's pretty much her fault Spinelli's in here, but she might be the one to save his life?"

"Yeah… weird" Jason agreed.

--

Sam watched as a trauma team worked on Maxie. In a matter of seconds the girl had gone from feeling dizzy into full blown cardiac arrest.

"Sam, please wait outside," Elizabeth said as she rushed into the cubicle with a crash cart.

Sam put a shaky hand to her forehead.

"Sam?" Lucky rushed to her side. "What are you doing here? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's Maxie. What about you?"

"I heard about Spinelli's accident and came to question Lu Lu. Was Maxie involved, too?"

"No," Sam breathed. "Heart attack." She heard the doctor shout "Clear!" She peeked through the curtain. Maxie was given a jolt to her system and her heart monitor beeped a steady rhythm. Sam let out the breath she'd been holding. She stepped back as the nurses wheeled Maxie's bed through the curtains and down the hall.

Elizabeth walked out and nodded to Lucky and Sam. "She's being taken to a private room. I think she'll be okay, though. Once she's situated I'll come find you."

"Thanks, Elizabeth." Sam watched her leave and leaned into Lucky for support.

"Hey, you heard her. Maxie will be fine." He rubbed her arms gently.

"Until she wakes up and remembers why she came to the hospital in the first place. Why does this stuff keep happening to her? She had just found love again."

"Really? With who?"

"Spinelli."

"Excuse me?" Lucky looked at her like she was crazy.

Sam wiped away a tear and chuckled. "Yeah, believe it or not, those two have been inseparable since Georgie died. I guess they were brought together by grief, but became close friends. Spinelli has actually been in love with Maxie for months, but today he finally got the nerve to ask her out. And just last night Maxie came by all worried about her feelings for Spinelli, afraid that she would mess things up if she took a chance on love. She doesn't have the best track record, ya know?"

"Yeah, I do… better than anybody. I just have a hard time believing she has feelings for Spinelli, of all people." He shook his head.

"Why?" She looked up at him. "Spinelli's a great guy!"

"I'll take your word on that one. How's he doing anyway?"

"I don't know anything yet, other than he's in surgery."

Just then Lu Lu walked up. "Lucky," she whimpered. Her big brother pulled her into a hug.

"Did you hear something?" Sam asked nervously.

Lu Lu nodded and sniffled. "He's out of surgery, but he's not doing well."

"How bad is it?"

"Dr. Drake said there was a lot of trauma to his head and he lost too much blood and he's reacting badly to the blood they gave him."

"Oh, no. Isn't there anything they can do?"

"You're not gonna believe this. Claudia turned out to be a match for Spinelli's rare blood type! She's with Patrick right now."

"That's irony for you," Sam sneered.

"What did I miss?" Lucky asked.

"You missed all the drama… the reason Maxie had a heart attack—"

"She had a heart attack?" Lu Lu asked. "Is she okay?"

"They got it under control. We're waiting to find out her room number."

"This is so awful. First Spinelli and now Maxie."

"I didn't know you and Maxie were friends," Lucky said.

"Well, we're not. Not really, but we have come to an understanding… sort of. Well, once I figured out what really happened with her and Johnny--"

"Is this the thing I missed earlier?" Lucky asked.

As if on cue, Johnny walked in and Lu Lu rushed into his arms. They walked off together, leaving Lucky and Sam alone. Lucky looked down at Sam, waiting for an explanation.

"Okay, from what I could glean from their conversation, apparently Claudia Zacchara coerced Maxie into seducing Johnny—or at least making it look like she seduced him—and Lu Lu was supposed to walk in on them. Unfortunately Spinelli showed up instead. He ran out before Maxie could explain."

"Aw, man. Poor kid."

"And now Maxie blames herself for what happened to him. She actually let Lu Lu hit her without even trying to tell her what happened. It was like she wanted to be punished or something. Later she got into a screaming match with Claudia. That's when she collapsed." Sam rubbed her hands over her face. "I am really worried about her. She honestly believes that she's jinxed when it comes to love."

"Can you blame her? I mean first Jesse, then Coop, and now Spinelli?"

"Hey, he's not dead! We need to stay positive. And I need to make sure Maxie gets some therapy before she completely loses it."

Lucky took out his phone. "I better call Mac and let him know what's going on with his daughter."

Sam nodded. "Oh my god, I forgot about Spinelli's grandmother! I'm gonna go get the number from Jason."

Jason sat in the waiting area just staring at the wall. He had seen Elizabeth earlier talking to Sam and Lucky, so he stayed where he was.

"Jason?"

He glanced up at Sam. "Hey, how are you? I'm sorry I didn't ask before."

"It's okay. We were all worried about Spinelli. Speaking of which, did you happen to call his grandmother?"

Jason shook his head.

"I didn't think so. I'll call her if you like. Do you have her number?"

Jason scanned through his cell phone address book and found "Spin's Granny". He passed the phone to Sam. "Thanks. I don't think she likes me very much."

Sam chuckled. "Okay." She dialed the number.

"_Yes? What do ya want?" _a gruff voice answered.

"Um, hi. Is this Mrs. Spinelli? Damian's grandmother?"

"Yes. Who is this? Is Damian in some sort of trouble again? Because I am not responsible for that boy's actions! I swear he has a habit of always being in the wrong place at the wrong--"

"Ma'am, I'm sorry," Sam interrupted. "Damian's in the hospital." There was silence on the other end, so she continued. "He was hit by a car. I thought you might want to be here."

_"He… he's gonna be okay, though. Right? He always bounces back. Every time, he does…"_ Her voice trailed off.

"He's not doing so well, but if anybody can make it through this it's him." Sam paused. "Listen, I can help you with travel arrangements if you like or--"

"_Thank you, but I can get there on my own. Port Charles, isn't it?"_

"Yes, ma'am. He's at General Hospital."

"Thank you, miss—"

"McCall. Samantha McCall. You can call me Sam."

"Oh, you're the goddess!"

Sam smirked. "Well, um, Damian used to call me that."

"_He still does. Thank you for being such a good friend to my boy, Sam. You tell Damian his granny is on the way. And I'm bringing him orange soda and barbeque chips. Make sure you tell him that last part, okay?"_

"I sure will. I'll see you when you get here." She handed the phone back to Jason.

"She's coming?" he asked.

"Yup. You didn't think she would?"

"I don't know. She wasn't very motherly… or grandmotherly when I met her. It was as if Spinelli was some great burden to her or something."

"Really? What makes you say that?"

"She yelled at him almost the entire time we were there, treating him like a little kid. She even grabbed him by the ear!"

Sam looked shocked. "I guess that explains some of his behavior. He can be very childlike at times. She did sound worried on the phone just now, so she must care about him."

"I guess. I just hope her visit doesn't cause more harm than good." He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

-

Claudia lay on the hospital bed and watched her blood drip into the plastic bag. A tear trickled out the corner of her eye.

Leyla walked in. "Are you okay, Miss Zacchara? Are you in pain?"

"Not the physical kind," she chuckled.

"Spinelli is very lucky you were here. His body is already responding to the new blood."

"Yeah, it's a freakin' miracle," Claudia murmured.

Leyla furrowed her brow and tended to Claudia's arm. "We have enough for the moment. Are you willing to donate more should the need arise?"

"Absolutely. It's the least I can do for the kid."

"Spinelli is a very special person." Leyla smiled.

"Yes, he is." Claudia smiled back. "I'm glad he has a friend here."

"Not just me. Everyone on the team is praying for him."

"Can I see him?"

Leyla paused. "Maybe I can sneak you in for a minute, but he really shouldn't be having visitors right now."

"Thanks," Claudia said sincerely.

Leyla helped Claudia into a wheelchair and took her to Spinelli's room in ICU. They paused in the doorway. Spinelli had tubes sticking out of his mouth and a bandage wrapped around his head. There were all sorts of wires connecting his body to machines that blinked and beeped. He looked so small, buried under a sea of modern medical technology.

"I'm really sorry," Claudia sobbed. She turned away. "Please get me out of here."


	7. Chapter 7

Maxie awoke slowly, wondering where she was. It smelled like the hospital. She started to open her eyes and was greeted by blinding sunlight. She immediately shut them again and groaned.

Mac Scorpio jumped up from his chair. "Maxie?"

"Dad?" she said groggily. "What happened?"

"You had a heart attack. It was a mild one, but Dr. Julian wants to keep you here for a couple days just to keep an eye on you."

Maxie searched her memory. She had a heart attack? Was she fighting with Claudia? Oh yeah, the stupid plan. Lu Lu never showed up. Oh, god! "Spinelli!" she cried out.

"Calm down, sweetheart." Mac sat on the bed and wrapped his arms around her, but she struggled against him.

"Where's Spinelli? Is he--? Please tell me he's okay. Please, please, please…" she kept rambling.

"Honey, you need to focus on getting yourself well. Let the doctors worry about Spinelli."

"I need him," she sobbed. She couldn't hold back the tears.

Mac held her tight and kissed the top of her head. "Okay. Let me go find someone. Do not move from this spot!"

She couldn't if she wanted to. She felt so weak, she could barely sit up. Closing her eyes and laying back, she silently prayed. She needed to see Spinelli's sweet face, to tell him that she was sorry for what happened and that she didn't want anyone but him, not that he would ever want her again after what he saw. She heard footsteps enter the room and opened her eyes.

Leyla was there with Mac. "Leyla, please. Please take me to see him. I need to see him."

The young nurse looked at her with concern. "Maxie, now is not a good time. You need your rest and so does Spinelli. Last night was very hard on him. And he doesn't look like himself right now. Claudia already got upset when she saw him and—"

"CLAUDIA got to see him? Why did Claudia get to see him? She doesn't even deserve to be on the same planet with him!"

"Maxie," Mac soothed. He sat and held her again. "You need to take it easy. Getting upset will only keep you in here longer." Maxie tried to fight him.

"Nooo! I want to see him! Dad, let me go!" She screamed.

"I'll get a sedative," Leyla said as she ran out of the room.

"You can't keep me away from him! I won't let you! I won't!" She kept struggling until Leyla came back in and administered the drug. Within seconds Maxie felt her body floating away. "I love him…" she slurred before drifting back to sleep.

Mac looked at his daughter, his concerned expression morphing into horrified. "Wait. Did she just say she loved Spinelli?"

Leyla smiled and shrugged.

"No-o," Mac groaned.

--

"Hey, Mr. Jackal," Nadine said cheerfully when she came to update Spinelli's charts. He had made it through the night and his body was showing signs of improvement. "It's a beautiful day outside. The sun is shining and the birds are singing. You really should wake up and take a look. It's most glorious, as you would say." Her smile saddened. The usually chipper and chattering young man remained silent. A breathing tube pumped oxygen into his lungs, so he wouldn't be able to talk even if he wanted to. Suddenly his head flinched. "Spinelli?" His eyes were flitting back and forth under his lids. Nadine smoothed her hand ever so slightly down along his scraped and bruised cheek. "You're safe now. Shhh."

Dr. Drake walked in. "How's our patient?"

Nadine pulled her hand away in embarrassment. "He seemed agitated. I think he was having a nightmare."

"Looks like you calmed him down." He smiled at her and she handed him Spinelli's chart.

Suddenly a gurgling sound came from the bed and they turned to see Spinelli staring at them with a pained expression. He appeared to be choking on his breathing tube. He shook his head and clutched at it.

"Hold on, we'll take care of that for you." Nadine pulled his head back and Patrick removed the tube. Spinelli took a deep gasping breath and winced. Nadine touched his chest. "Try to take a slow gentle breath. Like this." She demonstrated and he copied her action, relxing a bit. "There ya go." She smiled at him.

Spinelli stared at her with wide eyes. He glanced over at Patrick who was also smiling.

"Hey, kid. Welcome back. Thank you for proving my spectacular skills as a surgeon once again."

Nadine rolled her eyes and laughed. "We were all very worried about you. Everyone will be so happy to know you're awake."

Spinelli tried to speak, but he could only make a few rasping noises. Nadine leaned closer and he whispered. "Mom-ma."

"Momma?" She shook her head and looked to Patrick for assistance.

He furrowed his brow and motioned her over. "Um. Jason only mentioned a grandmother," Patrick said in a hushed tone. "She's flying in from Tennesee. He's probably a little disoriented right now. I'll check him out."

"Okay." Nadine turned back to Spinelli with a bright smile. "I'm going to go tell everybody the good news." Nadine bounded out of the room, leaving Patrick to examine his patient.

"Are you in any pain?"

Spinelli thought for a moment before shaking his head. He blinked a few times, trying to focus on the doctor's face.

"Good, the meds are doing their job. Blurred vision?" He held up two fingers. "How many?"

Spinelli squinted. "Four," he croaked out and then cleared his throat. He glanced around the room.

"That's to be expected. You took quite a nasty blow to the head. We're going to keep you under observation until the swelling goes away completely. I want to make sure you don't have any other side effects." He noticed a look of fear in the younger man's wide eyes. "Do you know why you're here?"

No response.

"Do you remember leaving the hotel last night? The car?"

"Car?"

"The car that hit you?"

He shook his head, but then appeared to be even more confused. "Do I know you?"

Patrick was taken aback. "Whoa. Sorry. Yeah. I'm Dr. Patrick Drake. We're friends… sort of. Okay, memory loss is not uncommon in these situations. Let's not panic. Tell me what you do remember."

Spinelli was quiet for a moment and then he smiled shyly. Without a hint of Jackal-speak he whispered, "Momma made me a cake. I'm turning ten on Saturday!" He smiled proudly.

Patrick's jaw dropped open. "Time to panic," he mumbled under his breath. "Would you excuse me? I'll be back in a bit." He pointed to the door and then slipped out.

Spinelli closed his eyes again and drifted off to sleep.

--

Nadine walked into the waiting room and found Jason and Sam. "He's awake!"

They turned to her in surprise. "He is? Can we see him?"

"Not just yet. Patrick is examining him. Maybe in a little while."

"Did he seem okay?" Sam asked.

"Was he… you know… himself?" Jason asked, rubbing his head.

"Well, he didn't say much, but he looked better than last night, that's for sure. There's still some swelling in his brain, but Dr. Drake thinks that will go down in a few days." Nadine paused. "Um… Do you know where Spinelli's mother is?"

"He doesn't have one," Jason replied. "He was raised by his grandmother."

"That's weird."

"What?"

"He asked for his mother."

Patrick walked up. "I need to confer with Dr. Winters."

"What happened? I thought he was okay," Nadine worried.

"There's been some memory loss, which is not uncommon. But this is… extreme. He thinks he's still a kid."

Jason shrugged. "So? That's normal for Spinelli."

"No, I mean literally. He told me he was ten years old."

"What? Why would he revert back so far?" Sam asked.

"This is beyond my expertise, folks. I think this has more to do with his emotional state than his physical one. Hopefully Dr. Winters will be able to get to the bottom of it. If you'll excuse me." Patrick walked away leaving Spinelli's friends with one more thing to worry about.


	8. Chapter 8

Sam peeked into Maxie's room and saw Mac. "Hi. How's she doing?"

Mac sighed. "She woke up awhile ago, but the nurse had to sedate her."

Sam looked down at Maxie's face. She tried to smooth out the frown lines on the girl's forehead. "Let me guess. She tried to go see Spinelli?"

"Yeah. Did you know about them? Maxie said she loved him."

Sam smiled. "Did she? I'm sorry it took her so long to figure it out."

"Do you know what happened?"

"Unfortunately. It's not pretty."

"I know my daughter's no angel. Nothing you say will shock me."

"I don't know about that, Mac. But you need to hear it." She took Mac by the hand and sat him down to explain everything that had transpired from the time that Maxie came to see her the other night.

Mac sat there in stunned silence. He stared at his daughter and wiped away his own tears.

"She may hate me for betraying her confidence, but I really believe Maxie needs some serious help. She needs to talk to someone before her grief eats her alive or causes her to hurt herself further."

"I never realized how bad it was. I knew she was dealing with abandonment issues, but…"

Sam rested a comforting hand on his back. "I'm probably her closest friend, next to Spinelli. If I didn't see it, there's no way you could've known."

Mac nodded. "Thanks for being her friend."

"Thanks for being a good dad."

Mac chuckled.

"Oh, before I forget. Spinelli woke up."

"He's okay?"

"Not exactly. Apparently he has amnesia." She smoothed the hair off Maxie's forehead. "I'm not looking forward to telling Maxie."

"I'll tell her."

Sam gave him a skeptical look.

"I may not like the kid, but I can be sympathetic."

"Please do. This is gonna be hard on her. She feels guilty enough as it is."

--

The elevator doors opened and an old woman with silver hair and large glasses came bustling out dragging a large duffle bag behind her.

Jason noticed her and waved.

She hobbled towards him. Jason met her half way and picked up her bag. "How was your trip, Mrs. Spinelli?"

"Cut the small talk! Where's Damian?"

"He's in ICU right now. He's recovering from brain surgery."

"Brain surgery?" She asked in a panic.

"The doctor said it went well. But there's a problem. He can't remember anything past the age of ten. He was asking for his mother earlier. Is she still alive?"

Mrs. Spinelli got a faraway look in her eyes. "Can I see him?"

"Uh..." Jason glanced around and saw Patrick heading towards them.

"Are you Mrs. Spinelli?" At the old woman's nod, he continued. "I'm Dr. Drake, your grandson's surgeon."

"How's my boy, doc?"

"He's recovering physically, but there's been a complication."

"Jason here told me Damian lost his memory."

"Yes, that appears to be the case. I have a psychiatrist talking to him right now. When she's finished I'll come get you."

Mrs. Spinelli turned away, hiding the look of fear that showed clearly on her face.

--

Dr. Winters readied her pen and smiled. "Can you tell me your name?"

"Damian," Spinelli replied, still a little hoarse. He cleared his throat.

"Hi, Damian. You can call me Lainey." She smiled.

He smiled back.

"Can you tell me how old you are?"

"Ten. Well, I will be on Saturday."

She nodded. "What day is it today?"

Spinelli stopped smiling. "Um…" He looked down at his hands.

"That's okay. Can you tell me where you live?"

He thought for a moment, scratching his bandaged head. "New Hampshire? No, wait. That was last month. Florida?"

"Are you sure?"

"Well, not really. We move around a lot. Seems like whenever I get used to a new place, uncle Rudy says it's time to leave."

"Uncle Rudy? I thought you lived with your grandmother." She jotted down some notes.

"No. I live with my mom, but Uncle Rudy comes by whenever we need to move."

"Can you tell me about Uncle Rudy?"

"He's kinda scary," Spinelli whispered.

"How so?"

"He's really big and mean looking, sorta like the wrestlers in the WWF, you know like Stone Cold Steve Austin or something."

"Has he ever hurt you?"

Spinelli shook his head. "He just scares me..." he trailed off, staring into space.

"Damian, are you remembering something?"

The young man started to shake. He covered his ears and squeezed his eyes shut. "NO!" He flinched as if trying to block out some noise in his head.

Lainey looked concerned, but waited for him to continue. "Honey, what is it?"

"It's too loud! I wanna go home! I want my mom," he cried.

Before Lainey could ask another question, Patrick came running in. "Whoa!" He injected something into Spinelli's iv. "Let's not forget the kid just had brain surgery! I don't think you should be making him relive any post traumatic stress at the moment. I just wanted you to get a preliminary diagnosis."

"I'm sorry, Patrick. It wasn't my intention to upset him. He just started rambling before you came in here. But I'm glad you called me. There's something serious in his past he's been blocking and it needs to come out."

"Well, let's give him some time to recover before the next round, shall we?"

Lainey nodded. "But we shouldn't wait too long. If we do he might suppress the memory again."

Patrick looked down at Spinelli, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. He stopped crying and his breathing slowed. The sedative was working. "His grandmother just showed up. I'm going to go get her. I know you have questions, but try to hold off for right now."

Lainey frowned as he walked out.

A few moments later he returned with the old woman. She stared at her grandson and pointed to the bandage on his head. "Is he in pain?"

"He seems to be responding to the medication. At least he hasn't complained."

"He never does."

"Mrs. Spinelli, this is Dr. Winters. She's going to help him with his emotional recovery." He turned to Lainey. "I filled her in on what just happened. And now if you'll both excuse me, I'm due in the OR right now." He left the two women facing each other.

"Hi, Mrs. Spinelli." Lainey held out her hand.

Mrs. Spinelli ignored the gesture. "I got no use for head shrinkers."

"Excuse me? Are you saying it's better that your grandson remains locked up in a world that no longer exists for him?"

"I'm saying that some things are better left forgotten." She turned back to Spinelli. "If you don't mind, I'd like to be alone with my boy."

Lainey stepped into the hall, but leaned against the wall just outside the door.

The old woman pulled a stool over to the side of the bed and held Spinelli's hand. "Oh, Damian. Why'd you have to go and start remembering things? I should've never let you stay out here. Though I suppose you're a grown man now, ain't ya? Can't really be telling you what to do anymore. She touched his cheek and he stirred, fluttering his drowsy eyes.

He looked up at her, blinking slowly. "Momma?"

Mrs. Spinelli stared at him for a moment, her eyes filling with tears. "Oh, my. I'd forgotten how good that felt," she whispered to herself. "Hey there, sweet child. Your momma's here," she half sobbed.

Lainey's eyes went wide. She kept quiet and listened in some more.

"Momma, why are you crying? Dr. Patrick says I'm gonna be okay."

"I've just missed you so much." She wiped away her tears and sniffled, pulling herself together.

"You missed me?" He looked confused.

"Nevermind, kiddo. Are you feeling okay? Any pains anywhere?"

He shook his head.

"You can tell me."

"I just feel sorta dizzy, that's all."

"They're pumping you full of drugs so you don't feel anything." She patted his hand. "Maybe they'll clear your head, too," she added under her breath.

"Dr. Lainey was asking me about Uncle Rudy."

"You forget about Uncle Rudy and just go back to sleep, okay? Dream about happy things."

"My birthday…" He sighed and closed his eyes.

Mrs. Spinelli shook her head nervously. "No," she whispered. "Don't you dare dream about that day. Don't you dare." She got up to leave.

Lainey stepped into the doorway. "Perhaps you would like to tell me about that day?" She gestured to the door.

Mrs. Spinelli glared at her. She glanced back at her sleeping grandson then followed the commanding young woman to her office.


	9. Chapter 9

This may seem rushed, but I just don't want to get stuck in the hospital for too long. I'm just making things up, with very minimal research of medical practice. In other words, I don't really know what the heck I'm talking about. Please keep that in mind when you read this. LOL!

-

Claudia Zacchara sat alone in her bedroom staring at an old children's storybook. The cover showing "Hansel and Gretel" was faded and worn, but she opened it with great care. A note inside read, "To my dear sister, I found this in an antique store and thought of you. One day I hope you return home and we can push father in an oven!" She smirked and flipped some pages until a small photograph slipped out. She picked it up and studied it. A 16-year old version of herself smiled back at her. In her arms she held a baby wrapped in a blue receiving blanket. Behind them was a beautiful Italian villa. She ran her finger over the baby's picture. "Damiano," she whispered. She held the photo to her heart as tears ran down her cheeks.

"Claudia!" Johnny called from the hallway.

Claudia jumped. Hiding the photo back in the book, she set it down on the bed. Then she wiped her face and flung open the door with a smile. "You bellowed?"

"I want you to leave."

"What?" Her smile faded.

"I'm giving you until the end of the day today to pack your things and get the hell out of here."

Without another word, he turned and walked away. Claudia stood there speechless. "It's MY apartment," she yelled after him.

"Fine! Then I'm leaving," he shouted back. She heard the front door slam.

Claudia slammed her bedroom door in response and fell onto the bed. She hugged the book to her chest and sobbed.

-

Dr. Winters directed Mrs. Spinelli to a chair in front of her desk, then took her own seat. "Mrs. Spinelli, I don't mean to pry into your personal business, but you need to know how serious this situation is. It appears that Damian is suffering from post traumatic stress over something he doesn't even remember. Obviously his mind wants him to or he wouldn't have reverted into this childlike state. I'm guessing he's remembering the moment before his life was blown apart in some tragic event.

Mrs. Spinelli gulped, but kept her composure. "You got it all figured out don'tcha?"

"No, I don't, Mrs. Spinelli. That's why I'm asking… no… begging you… to please help me help your grandson."

The old woman stared her down.

"If you don't he could get worse. I know you don't want that."

Mrs. Spinelli softened a bit. "I know you want to help Damian, but you don't understand." She got up and shut the door before continuing. "We've been in hiding for twenty years. If the wrong people find him it could cost him his life."

"Whatever you tell me in confidence will go no further than this room. Your secret is safe with me. But if you hold back anything it could cost him his sanity."

Mrs. Spinelli nodded. "Fine. I will tell you what I can without naming names." She cleared her throat. "My daughter got pregnant when she was a teenager. I took care of her until she had the baby. Her uncle--"

"Rudy?"

"Yes. Rudy was a very powerful man with powerful friends, the type of people who could make you disappear if you wanted. Make it appear as if you never even existed."

Lainey nodded.

"He came to me one night and told me to get the baby, that it wasn't safe there anymore. He was going to take us somewhere else. My daughter was to join us at a later date. We left without even saying goodbye. I never saw her again. After a few months I figured it was best to let people think I was Damian's mother to avoid the obvious questions." She stared into space. "We were moved constantly, to stay a step ahead of whoever was after us. To this day I'm not exactly sure who or what the threat really was. Most likely my psychotic ex-husband."

"Why would your ex-husband want to hurt his own grandchild?"

"He's crazy. That's all you need to know."

"I'm sorry, but that still doesn't explain Damian's state of mind. Moving around can be hard on a child, but it's not something overly traumatic.

"No, it wasn't. We were fine for awhile until… It was a couple days before Damian's tenth birthday. I was making a cake and getting things ready for the party we had planned. Damian was playing one of his favorite video games, some wrestler mania thing. Two men showed up at the house. I saw them from the kitchen window. I had a really bad feeling. I ran into the living room to get the boy and take him out the back way. But before I could, they kicked in the door. They had guns and they wanted us to know they had them. They were shooting at things in the house: the TV, the furniture, pictures on the wall. One of the men grabbed me. The other had my little Damian in a chokehold. He was crying. The man shook him and told him to shut up or he would kill me. They dragged us out of the house and threw us in a car. I thought for sure that was the end for us both."

"But you're here now. So obviously you got away."

"I guess Rudy's people were watching us because a few minutes later our car was pulled over by two other cars. I held Damian in my arms while he watched his Uncle Rudy kill the men who took us. He blew their heads off like it was the easiest thing in the world." Mrs. Spinelli pulled off her glasses and rubbed her eyes.

"I understand now. Thank you for being honest." Lainey stood up.

The old woman put her glasses back on. "Honey, you might want to sit down for the rest of the story."

Lainey's eyes went wide as she slowly sank down into her chair.

-

Mac stood up from his daughter's bedside post and stretched. He picked up his coffee cup, but it was empty. He took it with him and headed down the hall.

Maxie opened her eyes, still feeling a little groggy. She figured it was still morning since the sun was pouring in through the curtains. She sat up and was relieved she had the strength to stay there. She needed to see Spinelli. And if nobody would take her, she would find him on her own. She pulled out her iv and heart monitor and slipped off the bed. Uncaring of her appearance, she hobbled out of the room on bare feet, steadying herself at each wall she came to.

She made it to ICU somehow and snuck past the nurse's station. Good thing those young women liked to gossip. They were so lost in their conversation about Dr. Drake's hair, they never noticed her. She searched the name plaques by each room until she found D. Spinelli. She ran her finger along his name and felt her eyes sting. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and went inside. He was sleeping peacefully. His shaggy hair was covered by a turban of gauze, his sweet face was marred by scrapes and bruises, but to her he was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. He was alive. She took the stool by his bedside and sat down. When she touched his hand his eyes fluttered open slowly. "You're awake!" She beamed at him. He didn't speak. She waited for the inevitable anger and hurt he would direct at her. But none came. He just looked at her in awe.

Maxie lowered her head and spoke softly. "I'm probably the last person you want to see right now, but I had to come. I had to explain. It's not that what I was really doing at the hotel is much better… I mean, it's still pretty bad. But it's not what you're thinking. I would never do that to you… ever. It was all a set up. Just a stupid plan to break up Johnny and Lu Lu. Claudia's plan, actually." She looked up at him, needing him to see the sincerity in her eyes.

"I don't know—"

"I know you don't know what I was thinking," she interrupted him. "Neither do I. Sometimes I just do things without thinking at all. Actually, most of the time. Well, maybe all of the time. But you know that about me. You've always known that. And you accepted me anyway. I just hope you'll accept me now and believe me when I say I will never do anything like that again. I promise."

"What did you do?"

Maxie stopped babbling and looked at him like he was joking. "You don't remember?" Maybe this was a good thing. They could spend some time together and then she could explain what happened and he would forgive her like he always did. End of story. "Oh," she chuckled. "We can talk about that later."

"Who are you?"

Maxie felt like she had been slapped in the face. "Who am I?" It must be the pain medication he was taking. She waved her hand in front of his face. "It's me, Maxie."

"I'm sorry—"

"No, don't be sorry. I know you just had brain surgery and you're on drugs and you're tired. Of course, you're not thinking clearly. I just wanted to come by and see you."

"I don't know who you are," he finally said.

Maxie thought he meant her behavior until she noticed the way he was looking at her. "What do you mean?"

"Dr. Patrick says I have amnesia. Dr. Lainey is helping me to remember things. And my mom's here now, so I might get to go home soon."

Maxie gasped. She looked at him, really looked, and saw no recognition at all. Her Spinelli was gone, replaced by someone she didn't know. She got up and stumbled back, bumping into a dresser.

"Maxie!"

She turned to see her father in the doorway. "Daddy," she whimpered. "He doesn't remember me." She took a step towards him and crumpled.

Mac rushed over and caught her in his arms as she fainted. He glanced at the confused and frightened young man in the bed. "Um. Hi. I hope you get better real soon." He carried Maxie out of the room.

Spinelli squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his forehead. "Maxie?"

--

TBC

Okay, I know you're all so spoiled now because I've been adding chapters almost daily this week. Unfortunately I probably won't be able to add the next installment for awhile. Feel free to send me your story suggestions if you have them. Or leave comments here. Thanks so much for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

Claudia sat staring at the little photo. "My baby," she whimpered. Tucked in the old book behind it was a wrinkled newspaper article. She had read it so many times it was committed to memory. She crumpled the newsprint in her hand and recited the words. "Miriam Zacchara and her infant grandson were among those lost in the fiery crash…" Claudia choked on the last word. She screamed and threw the book across the room.

-

Mrs. Spinelli took a deep breath. "After the kidnapping Damian changed. He stopped speaking and wouldn't leave his bedroom. Rudy hired a doctor who would come to the house every day. For the first week or so Damian just hid in the corner."

"Was he ever prescribed any medications?"

"Yes, but I don't remember what it was. He was having really bad nightmares and the drugs helped him sleep. After awhile the nightmares went away and he started speaking again. He never mentioned that night, but he was scared all the time and he would get all hysterical if I tried to leave him, even for a minute. I found out about an online school program, so I bought him a computer. He took to it pretty quickly. And he seemed happy."

"How long was he isolated like that?" Lainey asked.

"Up until he was around fifteen."

"Five years? He stayed in the house for five years?"

"Oh, he went outside before then. We were still moving around a lot. But he avoided people."

"So what changed?"

"He found out the truth about me."

-

Mac walked through the waiting area with Maxie in his arms. Sam ran over. "What happened?" she asked.

Mac stopped for a moment and sighed heavily. "She snuck out of her room and went to see Spinelli. He didn't remember her. I think the stress was too much for her to handle. I need to get her back to bed." He started walking again and Sam followed.

"Listen, Mac, I'll be happy to sit with her if you want to take a break."

"I'd appreciate that. The Logan Hayes murder case has got everybody up in arms. Scott Baldwin is breathing down my neck. I should at least check in."

Jason watched them walk away, before turning and heading towards Spinelli's room.

-

Lainey raised her eyebrows. "How did Damian find out you weren't his mother?"

"He overheard Rudy and me talking one night. Once we were alone he confronted me. I told him the truth that his mother had abandoned us, and his father was unknown."

"What did he do?"

"He ran away."

"Just like that?"

"He came back a few hours later, but he grew distant. In one day he had gone from a sweet kid to a rebellious teenager. He started hanging out with these punks."

"Punks?"

"These boys that rode skateboards all over town. They were always getting into trouble, shoplifting and whatnot. Then Damian started smoking pot. He thought I couldn't tell, but I knew."

"How?"

"Oh, please, honey! I lived through the sixties! I'm no angel myself."

Lainey hid a smile.

-

Jason peeked into Spinelli's room. His friend appeared to be sleeping. He sat down by his bed. "I know you don't remember me right now, but I had to come see you. I've been really worried. I may not show it, but I really care about you, man. You're like a brother to me."

Spinelli smiled and opened his eyes. "The Jackal returns Stone Cold's sentiment," he murmured.

"Spinelli?" Jason's face lit up. "Did you just call me Stone Cold?"

"What else would I call you, Master?"

Jason laughed. "I don't care what you call me, just don't check out again. Okay?"

"Check out?" He glanced around and then down at the iv tubes. He cringed. "What happened?"

"You were hit by a car and you didn't remember anybody or anything. Maxie was in here earlier and—"

"Maxie was here? I thought I dreamed that."

"No. She came in to see you. She snuck out of her room."

"Her room? She's in the hospital, too? Were we in an accident together?"

"Um, no." Jason scratched his head. "I don't know if I should be the one telling you this."

"Please," Spinelli begged.

"You and Maxie had a… misunderstanding and you ran out… right in front of a car. Maxie collapsed while she was… um… here at the hospital. Mild heart attack."

"What? Is she okay? I need to see her!" He tried to sit up.

Jason put a gentle but firm hand on his shoulder. "You're in no condition to go anywhere. You just had brain surgery."

Spinelli touched his bandaged head, his eyes widening in fear. "Brain surgery? What? Am I…?"

"Like me?" Jason pointed to his own head.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean--"

"It's okay. And no, Dr. Drake doesn't think there will be any permanent damage. You just need to take things slow for awhile and you might need some physical therapy."

"Would you check on Maxie, for me?"

"Sure."

-

Lainey stood up. "Thank you for being so open with me, Mrs. Spinelli." She held out her hand and this time the old woman accepted it.

"Please call me Miriam."

"Thank you, Miriam." She smiled.

"Thank you, Dr. Winters."

"You can call me Lainey."

"Lainey, I'm sorry I was so harsh before, but it's been very difficult to open up to anybody these past twenty years. It actually felt good to let all of that out."

"I completely understand. Do you think Damian is still in danger?"

"I don't really know. I suppose if I believed that I wouldn't have let him him move to Port Charles. Of course, he's under a different type of protection now, so that's put my mind at ease somewhat."

"You mean Jason Morgan?"

"Yes. If anybody can protect my grandson, it's him. He thinks I don't know who he really is, but I know more than he does."

"And on that cryptic remark, I will stop asking questions," Lainey laughed. "Let's go see how Damian is doing." They walked out of the office together.

-

Jason peeked into Maxie's room. Sam was watching over her. "Hi."

Sam looked up and smiled. "Hey. What's up?"

"I've got some good news. Spinelli talked to me. He's remembering more. He knew me."

"Oh, Jason, that's wonderful."

"I thought you might like to go see him. I can sit with Maxie for a little while."

"You would do that for me?"

"It's no problem."

"Wow. So does this mean we've buried the hatchet?"

"I guess."

Sam breathed a sigh of relief. "I am so glad. I really am sorry, you know. If I had to do it over--"

"Let's not mention it again… ever." He glanced over at Maxie.

"I promise I won't tell another soul about Jake."

"I appreciate that. My priority has always been to keep him safe. The less who know about him the better."

"You know I really wish things had worked out differently between us. But it's okay now. Elizabeth and I are being civil. I don't hate her anymore. Lucky and I have worked things out and we're all watching over Jake. He's a great kid."

"Thanks. It's hard not to be a part of his life, but I'm happy to know he has so many people who love him."

"Including you. You've made the ultimate sacrifice for your son. I hope someday he will get to know you and understand why you gave him up."

Jason rubbed at his eyes. "Yeah. I only hope he doesn't hate me for it. I don't ever want him to think I abandoned him."

"When the day comes we'll all be there to support you." Sam cleared her throat and stood up. "I'll be back in a bit."

"I'll be here."

"Thanks." Sam walked out.

Maxie listened with her eyes closed. Her mind was drifting somewhere between awake and asleep, but she could've sworn she heard Jason and Sam talking about Elizabeth Webber's son. Could it be that Jason was really his father after all? There had been some speculation awhile back. Maxie had no right to judge. It was, after all, her affair with Elizabeth's husband Lucky that sent Elizabeth into Jason's arms in the first place. She opened her eyes and saw Jason looking down at her.

"Uh, hi," he said nervously.

"Hi, Jason."

"You didn't hear any of that, did you?"

"What? That you're Jakes father? No, I didn't hear a thing." She closed her eyes again and went back to sleep.

Jason groaned.

-

Claudia got off the elevator and nearly bumped into Sam. "Sorry."

"No problem," Sam replied. They both stepped in the same direction and nearly ran into each other again. "After you." They both headed towards Spinelli's room. After a few moments Sam asked, "Can I ask you something?"

Claudia stopped and waited. "Let me guess. You think I'm responsible for Spinelli's accident, too."

"Not exactly. I was just wondering what Spinelli is to you. I mean you really seem to care about him. I heard you even donated your blood."

"What can I say? He's the sweetest guy I've ever met. What's not to love?"

"I agree. He's one of my dearest friends." She stared Claudia down. "And so is Maxie."

Claudia rolled her eyes. "Look, Maxie was more than willing to take my money a few weeks ago. She had no problem with breaking up Johnny and Lu Lu."

"She's in love with Spinelli. She didn't want to hurt him. But you didn't seem to care. If he means so much to you, why didn't you think about how this might affect him. And I'm not talking about the accident."

"I honestly didn't give it a second thought. My first priority was my brother's safety. And getting him away from Lu Lu was part of that. I would've talked to Spinelli if he didn't believe Maxie. But I'm sure he would have. He's very forgiving. Last night was just a fluke. Nobody expected him to be there."

"Let's say I believe you."

Claudia looked at her in surprise. "That would be a first for me. Why are you being so understanding?"

"I've been where you are… and it's no picnic." They started walking again.

"How's Maxie, by the way?"

"She's stable. She had a heart transplant when she was a kid, so she's not as strong as the rest of us, although she'd like to think otherwise."

"I had no idea. Please tell her I'm sorry. And I won't bother her again."

"I will."

They rounded the corner just as Lainey and Miriam came from the other direction. They all converged at the doorway to Spinelli's room.

Claudia laughed. "The Jackal is one popular kid!"

Miriam gasped and pulled off her glasses. "Claudia?"

Claudia blinked a few times in disbelief. It couldn't be! "Momma?"

-

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Claudia stared at her mother in shock

Claudia stared at her mother in shock. What was she doing here? She was supposed to be dead! "Momma?" She reached out to touch her, but the old woman slapped her hand away. "You have some nerve showing up here like this! Suddenly you care about your son?"

Claudia gasped, the words echoing through her head. Everything else faded away as she looked through the door at the wounded young man asleep in the hospital bed. And then suddenly there was nothing but darkness.

Sam caught her as she fainted.

"Claudia!" Miriam screamed. She slowly dropped to her knees and stroked her daughter's hair. "I'm sorry."

Sam and Lainey exchanged confused glances.

"Did she say?"

"Momma?"

Lainey touched Miriam's shoulder. "Is this--"

"Damian's mother,"

"Whoa," Sam breathed. "No wonder she was a match."

"What do you mean?" Miriam asked.

"Claudia saved his life. She donated blood. I don't think she even realized he was her son."

"I agree, Miriam," Lainey said. "It looked like she was genuinely surprised to see you just now. You mentioning her son is what pushed her over the edge. I really don't think she knew."

"How could she not know? Rudy has been guarding us all these years..." Her voice trailed off and her hand flew to her mouth.

"What is it?" Lainey asked.

"What if all this time there has been no danger at all. What if Rudy set us up?"

"Why would he do that?"

Before Miriam could respond, Claudia stirred and opened her eyes. Her mother smiled down at her. "Momma! You're alive!" She laughed and touched her mother's face.

"You thought I was dead?" She glanced up at Lainey and nodded sadly. "I was right."

"That night we were supposed to meet at the safe house, I was packed and ready to go when Rudy came in and told me there had been a car accident and a fire. You and Damiano were gone. Just like that. I didn't want to believe it, but there was an article in the local paper the next day. I never got over it. I've been dead inside for so long, momma!" She sobbed into her mother's chest.

"Rudy had told me you changed your mind and weren't coming with us," Miriam replied. "He said you didn't want to be a mother anymore. I stupidly believed him." She held her daughter tight. After a few moments, Sam and Lainey helped the two women to their feet. Claudia walked into Spinelli's room and took a seat by his bed. She held his hand gently in her own. "My baby," she whispered. "I knew there was something about you... a connection between us. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined this."

Sam and Lainey observed Miriam as she watched her daughter. "I can't believe it. All these years we've been in hiding. And for what? Why would Rudy do that? He seemed to genuinely care about us."

Sam spoke up. "I should go tell Jason about this. Maybe he can get to the bottom of it."

"Thank you," Miriam said gratefully. "I appreciate all you've done for me and my grandson."

Sam smiled. "I'll be back."

-

Mac walked into Maxie's room and stopped short when he saw Jason Morgan sitting by his daughter's bed. "What the hell are you doing in here?"

Jason sighed. "I'm filling in for Sam. She went to visit Spinelli."

Mac nodded. "How's he doing?"

"I think he's getting better."

"Good. Thanks for the update. You can go now."

"You're welcome," Jason grumbled as he left the room.

"Jason!" Sam called as she ran up. She tried to catch her breath. "You... are not... going to believe this!"

"What is it?" He looked concerned.

"Spinelli's mother just showed up."

"His mother?"

Sam nodded. "And it's someone we know!"

"What? Who?"

"Claudia Zacchara," she whispered.

Jason's eyes widened in shock.

-

"Would you like me to stick around while you talk to your daughter?" Lainey asked.

"No. It's okay.. I think I see the situation clearly now."

"I'll check on Damian tomorrow, then."

"Thank you." Miriam turned back to watch her daughter and grandson.

Claudia cried happy tears. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so alive. Probably the day her son was born. Her little Damiano. She kissed his hand. The Jackal was her son! This was surreal. "How are you going to react to the fact that Vixenella is your mommy?" She giggled. Then she frowned. Some mother she was. It was her fault he was here in the first place. Maybe she didn't deserve him.

Spinelli sighed. "Maxie."

"Sorry to disappoint you, kiddo."

He opened his eyes. "Vixenella?" He smiled. "The Jackal is never disappointed by your lovely presence."

She felt her heart constrict. "You are quite the charmer." She winked. She paused for a moment then turned serious. "Listen, I need to apologize to you."

"For what?"

She took a deep breath. "I'm the reason you're in here."

He looked at her in confusion. "Were you the driver?"

"No. But I may as well have been. I'm going to tell you what happened before Maxie does because I don't want you blaming her in any way."

"What did you do?"

"I forced Maxie into something she didn't want. A few weeks ago I hired her to break up Johnny and Lu Lu. She was supposed to seduce Johnny and have Lu Lu walk in on them."

"Wha- What?" He started to get agitated.

Claudia tried to calm him. "She didn't. She wouldn't. She loves you. She tried to tell me that, but I wouldn't take no for an answer. I had her drug Johnny and just make it look convincing. No one ever expected you to see it."

Spinelli rubbed his forehead and squeezed his eyes. Flashes of memory hit him all at once. Maxie in bed with Johnny. Maxie screaming for him to stop. Him running out of the Metro Court.

Claudia looked concerned. "Are you okay?"

"Why?" he asked angrily. "Why would you do this?"

"I was just trying to protect my brother."

"From Fair Lu Lu?"

"I needed to get Lu Lu away from Johnny so my father will stop using her as leverage against him."

"What if she had walked in on them and was stupid enough to run into the direct path of oncoming traffic? Would Vixenella even care?"

"I didn't want her dead, just away from Johnny. I never meant for this to happen. I'm so sorry." She wiped away a tear.

Spinelli rubbed at his own eyes and sniffled. "The Jackal appreciates Vixenella's honesty."

"Will you ever forgive me?" Her voice broke with sadness

"You were trying to protect your sibling, although the measures were of the utmost extreme. I forgive you, but respectfully request that you stay away from Maxie and myself from now on."

Claudia took in a shaky breath and nodded. "I understand. I won't bother you again." She choked on a sob and ran out of the room.

Miriam tried to stop her as she left, but was unable. She watched in shock as her daughter ran down the hall. She entered her grandson's room. He was wiping away tears. "Damian?"

He blinked a few times. "Granny?"

"How's my boy?" She leaned in and hugged him.

"I'm better now that you're here."

Miriam decided to hold off discussing Claudia until he was stronger. She opted to cheer him up instead. "I have something for you." She held up a finger and stepped back out into the hall. She rifled through her large purse and pulled out a small bag of barbeque chips and a can of orange soda.

Spinelli laughed when she held up the marvelous bounty.


	12. Chapter 12

Spinelli chuckled softly. "Nectar of the gods and barbeque chips? Most grateful thanks. I may not have much of an appetite right now, but I will most certainly enjoy the presence of my favorite brain foods as I recuperate. I'll need them." He pointed to his bandaged head.

Miriam placed the goodies on his bedside table. "You are one lucky young man. I don't know what I would've done if you didn't have such a thick skull," she teased.

Spinelli's smile slowly disappeared. "You haven't asked me what happened."

"You were hit by a car. Sam the goddess told me." She winked.

He snorted. "Yeah. But I ran into the street without looking. It was my own stupidity that put me here." He shut his eyes and wiped away a tear.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She took a seat by his bed.

He gave her a sad look. "Did you see the woman who left here a minute ago?"

Miriam cleared her throat nervously and nodded.

"She's someone I thought was a friend. But she did something so vile without any thought of how the outcome might affect me."

"I overheard some of what was said."

"You did?"

"I'm not sure I got it all, but it sounded like Claudia was trying to protect Johnny by having another girl come between him and his girlfriend?"

"Yeah... Hey, do you know Claudia and Johnny?"

"What?"

"You said their names like you knew who they were."

"Oh, um... ," Miriam stammered. "I was speaking with Claudia before she came in here. She spoke very highly of you. Seems like she cares about you a lot."

"If she really cared about me she wouldn't have used Maxie to do her dirty work."

"I take it Maxie is a good friend of yours?"

Spinelli gave her a shy smile. "I guess you could say she's my... girlfriend. At least that's how I think of her. I mean we haven't really discussed that, but... Anyway, Claudia confessed that Maxie didn't want to go through with it because she didn't want me to get hurt. But Claudia didn't care about me in that moment!"

"Maybe she thought you would understand that it was just a set up."

"I dunno. Maybe."

"I don't think she meant for you to get hurt. She was very upset when she left. The poor woman was in tears."

Spinelli showed a flash of concern before pouting. "Why do you even care how she feels?"

"I, uh... I just saw how hurt she looked when she ran out of here. It broke my heart."

"Well, we're even then. She broke my heart, too."

Miriam stared at her hands for a moment before changing the subject. "So tell me about your girlfriend."

Spinelli couldn't help himself. He smiled widely, his bruised face lighting up with pure joy. "She's a lot like you, actually."

"Oh, dear. That bad, huh?"

He laughed. "Yeah, stubborn and bossy..." He stared off into space. "and beautiful, smart, funny, brave. She can even be sweet, though she would never admit it. She's also fiercely loyal when it comes to those she cares about."

"Would you look at that! You're in love! It's as plain as day! Well, I can't wait to meet the girl who finally won my Damian's heart."

Spinelli sighed. "You'll meet her soon enough. She's a patient here in the hospital."

"Oh? What happened?"

"Jason said she had a heart attack." He pointed to his own chest. "She had a transplant when she was younger and it gives her problems sometimes." He grabbed the sheet in frustration. "I'm going crazy here not knowing what's going on," he whined.

Miriam patted his shoulder. "Calm down. How 'bout I go see how she's doing?"

He relaxed a bit. "Really?"

"Sure. What's her name again?"

"Maxie Jones."

She got up. "I'll be back shortly. You try to rest."

He nodded. "Thanks, Granny." He watched her leave then closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep with a smile on his face.

-

Jason and Sam were walking back towards the ICU when they saw Claudia sitting in the waiting area. She was crying.

"Claudia, what happened?" Sam asked.

Jason stared at Claudia with a confused look on his face.

"Oh, nothing. Just that Spinelli hates me."

"What? Why? Did you tell him who you were?"

"I never had the chance. I aplogized for my part in what happened with Maxie and Johnny. He forgave me, but he never wants to see me again." She wiped away more tears.

"I think he'll come around once he knows the truth."

"You're Spinelli's mom?" Jason suddenly blurted.

Claudia was caught off guard. She stared at Jason. "Yes, I'm Spinelli's mom!"

"I'm sorry, you just seem too young."

"I was sixteen years old when I had him."

"Do you know who his father is?"

She looked away. "Yes... but I'd rather not say."

From behind a potted plant, Anthony Zacchara narrowed his eyes at his daughter. He motioned for his attendant to wheel him away before she could see him. Once they were in the elevator, he punched a number into his cell phone. "Get your fat ass on the next plane to Port Charles!" He hung up and squeezed the phone tightly in his hand, a look of hatred on his face. "So my slut of a daughter has been keeping quite the secret. Not a good idea to hide things from daddy," he said in a creepy sing-song voice.

-

Mac glanced up from his newspaper to see an old woman looking at him through the door. "Can I help you?"

"I'm so sorry to bother you. I was looking for Maxie Jones."

"I'm her father." He stood up and held out his hand. "Mac Scorpio."

She returned his greeting. "I'm Miriam Spinelli."

"Spinelli? Are you--?"

"Damian's grandmother."

"Nice to meet you, ma'am. I'm very sorry about your grandson."

"Thank you."

"I hear he's getting better. Is that true?"

"I think so. He's very worried about your daughter, though. I told him I would come check on her." She looked at the lovely young blonde girl asleep on the bed. "She had a heart attack?"

"Yes, but she'll be okay, as long as she stays put like she's supposed to. She wore herself out earlier sneaking over to the ICU."

Miriam chuckled. "She went to see my boy?"

"Yup. She's not very good at following directions."

"She's a girl in love."

Mac groaned. "Don't remind me."

Miriam put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "Do you have a problem with my Damian?"

Mac raised his eyebrows at her. "Aside from the fact that he works for the mob and that no man will ever be good enough for my daughter, I suppose not."

"I'm glad to hear that. Damian deserves some happiness for once in his life. And your daughter has made him happier than I've ever seen him. Just the mention of her name had him positively glowing."

"I hadn't realized they were so close. I knew they were friends, but I never expected..." He shook his head. "Maxie told me point blank that she loved him."

Miriam smiled. "I'll be sure to relay that to my grandson. That will surely speed up his recovery."

The sound of rustling sheets made Mac look over at his daughter. He smiled and sat down on the bed next to her. She opened her eyes. "Hey, Dad," she said drowsily.

"Hey you. Were you trying to give ME a heart attack? Next time just ask for help. Please."

"You wouldn't listen. I told you I needed to see Spinelli, to make sure he was okay." She remembered their visit, the way he had looked at her in confusion. "Oh, god." She started to cry.

"Hey, hey, what's this about?" He gently wiped away her tears.

"He didn't know me, Dad! He looked at me like I was a stranger!"

Miriam's heart went out to the girl. "He's remembers you now, dear."

Maxie sniffled and looked at her in surprise. "What?"

"Sweetheart, this is Spinelli's grandmother. Miriam."

The old woman took Maxie's hand. "I told Damian I would come see you, since he can't."

"He remembers me?" Maxie started to panic, thinking about how crushed he was before he ran out of the hotel room. "Did he seem upset? Does he remember what happened before the accident?"

"You mean with you and Johnny Zacchara?"

"How did you know?"

"Claudia just told him everything. She wanted to make sure he didn't blame you for any of it."

Maxie was surprised. "She did?"

"And he doesn't. He's just very worried about you. He wanted to come see you himself, but he's a bit tied up at the moment," she chuckled.

Maxie laughed tearfully. "That's just like him. He's worried about me, when he's the one recovering from brain surgery. I want to see him."

"Maxie, honey, you need to stay in bed. You can see him tomorrow."

She was still very tired so she didn't argue. "Okay. Miriam, would you please give him a kiss for me?"

"Absolutely." She smiled and patted Maxie's cheek. "And tomorrow I'll bring you over there myself."

"Thank you," Maxie smiled as she drifted off to sleep and sweet dreams...


	13. Chapter 13

Maxie tossed and turned, but couldn't get comfortable. Her body felt like it was on fire. A cool breeze touched her skin as the bed sheet was whisked away. She opened her eyes and was surprised to see Spinelli standing over her. The bruises and scratches were gone from his face and there was no bandage on his head. It was like the accident had never happened. He smiled down at her with so much love in his eyes she thought her heart would burst. "Hi," was all she could say.

"Hi, yourself," he said in a seductive voice, making her heart race. He exuded an air of confidence that was so powerful she almost didn't recognize him.

"You look good," Maxie beamed. He was wearing her favorite blue suit. Very GQ. And his hair was perfect.

"Thanks. So do you." He reached out and stroked her cheek, making her tremble.

Maxie looked down at herself. The wires connecting her to the hospital monitors were all gone and she was wearing a beautiful navy silk dress. It felt heavenly. "How?"

"Don't ask questions. Let's just enjoy whatever time the gods have granted us." He took her hand and pulled her into his arms. A sultry song began to play. My Funny Valentine. The singer's voice was like liquid sex. Maxie molded her body against Spinelli's as they swayed together. Her breathing became shallow and she imagined her heart monitor would be going off the charts had she still been connected. Tears filled her eyes and she clung to him, relief washing over her. He was healthy. He didn't hate her. He was there with her, holding her. She moved back to look into his eyes. "I'm so happy you're here."

"There is no place on earth or in heaven I would rather be," he said softly. She laid her head against his chest, listening to the gentle thud of his heart, until her own was beating in the same rhythm. Maxie reached up and ran her hand along his neck. He sighed. She pressed her lips to his warm skin and was rewarded with a soft moan. "Mmm... Maxie."

She gazed up at him and waited. For the first time ever he took the initiative. He leaned down and captured her lips in a tender but thrilling kiss. Electricity shot through her entire body, making her toes tingle. She weaved her hands through his hair, tugging gently, wanting him to venture further. And he did. Maxie thought she might melt into a puddle on the floor if he wasn't holding her so tightly. In the next instant she felt like she was floating and realized she had been lifted into his arms. He lowered her onto the mattress, never breaking their connection. It didn't feel like the hospital bed. She pulled away for a moment and saw that they were in her bedroom. She giggled. He gave her an innocent grin. Then he did something unexpected. He undressed her with skill and precision. Maxie thrilled at the way he took charge. His hands worked magic on her sensitive skin as he slid the fabric from her aching body. His lips traced a fiery path from her neck to her shoulder. Then she undressed him quickly and lay back to let him have his way with her. Slowly and tenderly he made her body come alive...

Maxie stretched and sighed, running her hand along the sheet. She opened her eyes and saw that she was in her hospital bed alone. Her body still tingled from her dream lover's touch. She sighed in disappointment that he wasn't really here with her.

-

Spinelli reached for Maxie but she wasn't there. He opened his eyes and pouted. It had only been a dream. But a glorious one, nonetheless. He smiled giddily.

"Now that's what I like to see," Miriam said with a wink. She got up from her recliner and stretched

"Granny, you didn't have to sleep here. I'm fine."

"It's no bother. Hows about some breakfast?"

"I guess I could try to eat something."

"I'll be back," she said as she walked out the door.

-

Maxie replayed the erotic dream over and over in her mind. Spinelli had been so confident and passionate. Sure the night they had spent together before had been great, but Spinelli had been almost shy in his lovemaking, nothing like in her dream. She looked forward to his recovery so she could teach him a few things. She smiled to herself.

"Well, well. My grandson had that same look on his face," Miriam teased.

Maxie blushed, wondering if the old woman could somehow read her thoughts. "Oh, good morning, Mrs. Spinelli."

"Please call me Miriam."

"Okay, Miriam."

"So how are you feeling? Up for a little visit?" Miriam reached outside and grabbed the wheelchair.

"Really?" Maxie sat up with excitement.

-

"Breakfast is served."

Spinelli couldn't believe his eyes. "Maximista?"

Miriam wheeled Maxie over to the side of his bed so she could set the tray of food on top of the blanket. She watched the two kids who seemed lost in each other's eyes. "Enjoy! I'm going for a walk." She exited the room.

"So…" Maxie began. "How did you sleep last night?"

-

Claudia sat in her room staring at her son's baby picture. How could she ever tell him the truth? He never wanted to see her again. She thought about her conversation with Jason and Sam from the night before. They had been surprisingly understanding, even offering to talk to Spinelli for her. But she had declined their offers. It was probably better if he remained blissfully unaware of his parentage. At least he would be safe from her father.

-

Anthony Zacchara sat behind his giant ornate desk and folded his hands in front of him, a smile spreading across his face. He had just been informed that his brother was on his way in. Soon he would get to the truth behind his daughter's deception.

A large heavyset man slightly younger than Anthony entered the room. "Tony?"

The smile never wavered from Anthony's face. "Hello, Rudy. I understand you've been keeping a secret from me."

"A s-secret? Whatever do you speak of?"

Anthony picked up a paperweight and studied it for a moment before hurling it across the room to smash into the wall near Rudy's head. "Oops! I missed." He laughed.

Rudy waved his hands around in defense. "Listen, big brother, I don't know what you're so upset about. If you could fill me in I would greatly appreciate it."

Anthony pouted. "Fine! I'll spell it out for you, you big fat pig. I overheard my slut of a daughter refer to a son she had when she was sixteen. Hmmm, sixteen you say? Yes, sixteen. That was around the time she was living with you in Italy! You sick freak!"

"Hey, hey! I never touched her! She was already with child when she arrived at the villa!"

"A-ha! So you admit she had a kid! And you never bothered to inform her old man? Tsk tsk, little brother."

Rudy lowered his head. He was caught.

"Why wasn't I told about this?"

"The baby died. He and his grandmother--" A stapler hit him in the head. "Ow!"

"Liar!" Anthony pulled a gun out of his desk drawer. He cocked it and aimed at his brother. "Give me one reason I shouldn't waste you right here and now."

Rudy dropped to his knees. "I'll do whatever you want! Whatever you need! Just say the word," he pleaded.

"Okay. Apparently my grandson is alive and well and living here in Port Charles. I want you to bring him to me."

"What? He's here?"

"Oh yeah, he's been here for the past couple years, unbeknownst to me that he was family. And he works for my enemy, if you can believe that. I'm sorry, that's just plain wrong. He needs to see the error of his ways."

Johnny walked in at that moment. "You talkin' about me?"

"Not this time, John." Anthony smiled.

"Who?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

-

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

Spinelli blushed, his mind wandering to the dream he'd had about Maxie last night. "The Jackal slept quite well, thank you. And yourself?"

"I dreamt about you," Maxie said seductively.

"Y-you d-did?" he stuttered. "That's funny."

"Actually, it wasn't funny at all. It was incredibly romantic and sexy. I didn't want to wake up this morning."

Spinelli wondered if they'd had the same dream, but was too shy to mention his own. He smiled and touched her hand.

Miriam walked down the hallway and was suddenly confronted by a man she had hoped she'd never see again. "Rudy!"

"Hello, Miriam. How've you been?"

"As well as can be expected, I suppose. Where the hell have you been? Oh, wait. Let me guess. The danger had passed up until this very moment?"

"Something like that."

"Bull!"

Rudy whispered, "Keep your voice down! Look, I left you and Damian alone because there was no reason to keep moving you. Anthony wasn't suspicious, so I didn't want to give him a reason, ya know?"

"Were we ever in any danger to begin with? Or was it all a setup?"

"What?" He gulped.

"I saw Claudia here yesterday. She was under the impression that Damian and I were dead! Now how in the world did she come up with that one?"

"She was lying! She just didn't want to—" He was interrupted by Miriam's fist against his jaw. "Ow! You old hag!"

Miriam rubbed her knuckles. "You sonofabitch! You cost me over twenty years with my daughter!"

Rudy shoved her up against the wall. "You better watch it lady, or I'll snap you like a twig." He spoke calmly, but the venom in his eyes was chilling. "Now I got a job to do. You can make it easy on yourself or you can die... along with that pretty little blonde in there." He motioned to Spinelli's room.

Miriam didn't argue. She knew he was deadly serious. "What do you want?"

"You're going to go in and get rid of the girlie. Then I'm taking you and Damian with me."

"Are you crazy! You can't move him! He's recovering from brain surgery!"

"I have my orders."

"What orders?"

"Tony found out somehow. He wants his grandson with him right now. You got two minutes!" He stepped back and leaned against the wall, opening his jacket to show off his gun.

Miriam quickly stepped into Spinelli's room and cleared her throat, startling Maxie and Spinelli who were obviously lost in each other's eyes. "Sorry to interrupt you love birds, but it's time Maxie went back to her room."

"But I just got here," she whined. "We haven't even had our breakfast yet!"

"I'm sorry honey, but you and Damian both need your rest!"

"Granny," he started to protest.

"Hush!" She held up a finger and glared at him. He clamped his mouth shut in fear, sense memory kicking in.

Maxie watched the exchange and wondered what the heck was going on. Miriam had seemed so nice earlier. Now she was being downright mean. "Can I at least kiss him goodbye?"

"Quickly!" Miriam wiped her brow and glanced towards the door.

Maxie pulled herself up out of the wheelchair and leaned in to press her lips to Spinelli's cheek. Then she moved her mouth over his in a tender kiss. "I'll sneak out later and come see you," she whispered.

"Okay," he said with a nervous smile. He watched his grandmother wheel Maxie out of the room, somehow knowing he wouldn't be seeing her later. Something was very wrong.

Miriam glared at Rudy as she passed him.

Maxie turned around and glanced at the big guy who was watching them leave. "Who's that?"

"Nobody!"

As soon as they turned the corner Rudy went into Spinelli's room. "Hello, Damian. Remember me?"

Spinelli stared at the large burly man until recognition set in. He grabbed his head in pain and whimpered. Memories assaulted him one after another. Two men shoving him and his granny in a car. Uncle Rudy with a gun. Blood everywhere! "No," he moaned. "Go away! Go away!" He shrunk back into his pillow.

"Sorry, kid. No can do. Your grandfather wants to meet you."

Spinelli's heart was pounding in his ears. He thought he had heard Rudy mention a grandfather, but that made no sense to him.

Rudy kept rambling. "All my hard work for nothing. I kept you and Miriam hidden good all these years. And in one freakin' day your mother blows it all to hell."

"My mother?" Spinelli shook his head in confusion. "I don't have a mother."

"Yeah, you do. And her ass is grass." He searched the dresser. "Where's your clothes?"

Spinelli rubbed his temples. Wasn't he an adult now? Why was he being ordered around like he was still ten?

"Your clothes, Damian! We gotta go!"

Spinelli jumped and stammered, "Th- They were ruined in the accident."

"Great! So much for that plan."

"I can't go anywhere! I'm hooked to life saving apparatus." He watched in horror as Rudy began disconnecting wires and ripping out his IV. "Ah!" He grabbed his arm in pain.

Rudy pulled back the sheet and waited for Spinelli to move. "Come on, let's go!"

Spinelli willed his body to move, but nothing happened. "I'm trying!" He pounded on his legs, letting out a frustrated cry.

Miriam came in just as Rudy was yanking her grandson out of bed.

"Stop that!" She ran over and shoved the large man away. "I'm sure Tony wants his grandson alive!" She helped Spinelli sit up. "I'm so sorry, honey."

"I don't want to go with him," Spinelli whispered like a child.

"I don't either, but we have no choice. It'll be okay." She gave him a small reassuring smile, but he didn't return it. She gently moved his legs towards her so he could stand, but as soon as his feet touched the floor his body crumpled. "Damian!" She tried to catch him, but she wasn't strong enough. Rudy stepped in and caught him before he fell.

"Can't you walk, kid?"

"I- I- c-can't." He gripped his uncle's arms for support.

Rudy lifted him up and carried him out the door with Miriam following behind. They went down the hall to the stairwell. Just as the door shut behind them, Patrick came around the corner and into Spinelli's room. "Good morning! How's my favorite patient?" He greeted as he perused his chart. He looked up and froze. "What the hell?" The bed was empty. "Spinelli?" He tapped on the bathroom door then opened it, but it was empty too. He ran to the nurse's station. "Has anybody come by to take Mr. Spinelli for tests or x-rays?"

Nadine looked at him in surprise. "No. He's my patient. I would be the only one authorized to do that."

"Well, he's not in his room."

"What? How is that possible."

"I don't know, but I have a really bad feeling."

-

Maxie smiled as her dad entered the room. "Hey, Dad."

"You look much better this morning."

"I talked to Spinelli."

"When?" He took out a notepad and pen.

Maxie furrowed her brow. "You taking notes on my relationships now?"

"Not exactly. Can you tell me what time you saw him?"

"About twenty minutes ago, maybe. Why?"

"He's missing. And so is his grandmother."

"What? What do you mean he's missing?"

"I mean he's not in his room."

Maxie got a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. "That guy. It must have been that guy!"

"What guy?"

"I saw this big creepy guy outside of Spinelli's room. I asked Miriam who he was and she said it was nobody. She was acting really weird, Dad."

"How weird? Do you think she had something to do with taking Spinelli out of the hospital?"

"Well, she was all sweet and nice to me when she brought me over to his room. She left us alone for like five minutes and then came back all upset and angry. She said I had to leave, that we needed our rest. That's when I saw that strange guy."

"Can you tell me what he looked like?"

"He was tall and heavy. He looked like a big time wrestler or something. Dark hair. Dark suit."

"Would you recognize him if you saw him again?"

"I think so."

Mac put his notepad away. "That's good. At least we have something to go on."

"Dad, I'm really scared. Spinelli needs to be in a hospital. What if something happens to him?"

"I promise you, sweetheart, we will do everything we can to find him."

-

Spinelli was feeling lightheaded when Rudy wheeled him into the looming mansion. They hadn't been driving long, so they were still in Port Charles… or at least close to Port Charles. "Where are we?"

"Honey, don't talk. Save your strength." Miriam put a comforting hand on his back as they moved down the expansive hallway. They entered a large office and Anthony Zacchara looked up from his desk.

Spinelli gasped and reached for his grandmother's hand. "Why are we here in the lair of the Demented Denizen Of Darkness?" He tried to appear brave as he threatened Zacchara. "What do you want with us, Unhinged One?"

Anthony laughed. "I remember you from that party at Wyndemere. And to think I almost killed my own grandson! That would've sucked."

Spinelli looked at him like he was insane. Actually, he was insane. That had been proven. "Did you just imply that I- I--?"

"That you, Mr. Spinelli, confidante to Jason Morgan, are my grandson? I did. You are indeed my grandson and as such you belong here with me."

Spinelli looked at his grandmother for some clarity. How was this possible? Surely he must be joking… or rambling as insane people were wont to do.

Miriam nodded. "He's your grandfather, as revolting as that prospect is."

"Good to see you again, Miriam… NOT! Rumors of your death were greatly and unfortunately exaggerated."

"Screw you!"

Spinelli hyperventilated. "No, no, no… This is wrong. I am delirious with fever and this is just some bizarre manifestation of my encounter with Vixenella."

"Vixenella?" Anthony chuckled. "Is that what you call Claudia? I can see that. I happen to think WHORE suits her better, but to each his own."

"How can you be my grandfather? This is inconceivable!"

"Well, my daughter happens to be your mother. Therefore you are my grandson. That's how it works."

"Your daughter? How many children do you have?"

"Just Johnny and Claudia. And by process of elimination, can you guess which one is your mother?" He clicked his tongue like a clock and tilted his head back and forth waiting for Spinelli's reply.

"But that would mean Vixenella—"

"Ding! Ding! Ding! Give the boy a prize!"

Spinelli looked at his grandmother again. "He's lying… right? You would have told me. Right, Granny?"

"Uh oh," Anthony sang out. "Looks like granny's been keeping secrets."

Miriam couldn't hide her guilt. "I'm so sorry, Damian." She knelt before him and touched his cheek. "Claudia wanted to tell you herself, but—"

Spinelli shook his head. His entire world was reeling out of control. The room began to twist and swirl around him. It was like a bad acid trip. He let out a giggle before his eyes rolled back and he lost consciousness.


	15. Chapter 15

_Two faceless men loomed over Spinelli. He cowered in fear, crying out to his granny. From across the room, she told him to be brave, that everything would be okay. He didn't believe her. She looked scared. One of the men pulled him into a choke hold and he couldn't breathe. He started to cry. "Let him go!" his granny yelled. The other man took her by the arm and dragged her outside. Spinelli could breathe again, but he stumbled as his captor led him outside and down the front steps. He and his granny were thrown into a big black car and soon they were speeding down the highway. A few moments later another big car forced them off the road. He clung to his granny, praying the police had somehow found them. He heard the door open and glanced over in time to see his uncle Rudy with a gun. BANG! The driver's head exploded all over the windshield and onto Spinelli. He screamed…_

Miriam watched over her grandson as he lay in his new bed at the mansion. She pressed a cool wet cloth to his hot forehead. He tossed and turned, mumbling in his fevered state. She couldn't make out what he was saying, but he looked troubled. "There there, everything's okay," she cooed, gently stroking his cheek. He appeared to relax a bit. Thankfully Anthony had decided to be humane and sent Rudy to get some medical help. Damian really needed to be in a hospital.

-

Maxie was frantic. It had been almost an hour since her dad had told her Spinelli was missing. She had left a message for Jason awhile ago asking him to call her, but he hadn't returned her call. She couldn't wait any longer. She picked up the phone and called him again.

_"Maxie? Sorry, I couldn't call you back. I was working."_

"Well, you should have! Now it might be too late! Did you think I was calling you just to chat?"

_"What's wrong?"_

"Spinelli is missing!"

_"What? How could he be missing?"_

"I think he and his grandmother were kidnapped. I know it sounds bizarre. I mean who would want to kidnap Spinelli, right? But I saw this guy outside his room earlier. He was a big mean wrestler type guy. He really creeped me out." Jason didn't reply. His silence had her spooked. "Jason? Do you know something I don't?"

_"Um, I'll call you back."_

"Jason? Jason!" The line went dead. He definitely knew something! She supposed that was a good thing since he might know where to find Spinelli.

-

Anthony was working at his desk when he heard a young female voice cry out, "Let me go!" He laughed and waited for his guest to arrive. His brother shoved her into the room. "Ahh, Nurse Webber, so lovely to see you again. We hope you find your stay with us very comfortable."

"My stay? You can't keep me here against my will! Why the hell am I here anyway?"

"Well you see, there's been an interesting turn of events. My grandson is gravely ill and in need of medical attention."

"Your grandson? Why didn't you just bring him to the hospital?"

"I can't. You might say I had him liberated from there earlier and it would just be too awkward trying to explain. I'm sure you can understand." He gestured to his brother. "Take her up to his room."

Rudy dragged her out again. They walked upstairs and down the hall. When he opened the door she gasped. "Spinelli!"

Miriam stepped back. The pink scrubs told her this woman was a nurse. And obviously, she was a friend. She knew Damian by name and looked concerned. Knowing her grandson was now in good hands, she decided to leave the room.

Elizabeth rushed to Spinelli's side and checked his vitals. He tried to open his eyes, but they kept closing. He moaned in pain. "It's okay, sweetie. We're gonna get you what you need." She looked back at the large man who had brought her here. "Excuse me? I need some things from the hospital. Can someone get them for me?"

"What things?"

"Antibiotics, pain medication, stuff like that." She picked up the pen and paper that were lying on the bedside table. "Here's a list. I need all of these things."

Rudy took the paper. "I'll see what I can do," he replied before leaving the room.

-

Claudia curled up on the sofa in her robe. She couldn't help feeling like she had lost her son all over again. She wasn't sure which time was worse. They both hurt just as much. A knock at the door startled her. She got up and looked through the peep hole. She was surprised to see Jason Morgan. There was only one reason she could think of for his presence. She hurriedly flung open the door. "What is it? Is something wrong with Spinelli? Did he take a turn for the worse?"

"You could say that."

"Oh, god! What happened?" Her eyes filled with tears.

"Somebody kidnapped him."

Claudia shook her head. That was not what she had expected to hear. "Come again?"

"Spinelli and Miriam are missing. I thought you might have a clue as to who took them. Maxie said there was some strange guy outside Spinelli's room this morning. A big wrestler type? Sound familiar?"

Claudia gasped. "Uncle Rudy!"

"I thought so."

"My father must have found out about him. I need to get over there!"

"I'll go with you."

"No. It's best if I go alone. I don't want to start a mob war."

"If Spinelli isn't released immediately, I'll be the one starting it."

-

Dr. Julian walked into Maxie's room. "How ya feeling?"

"Great! Can I go home now?"

Leo laughed. "What? You don't like my company?"

She smiled sweetly. "You are the sweetest and sexiest doctor in the whole hospital, but I'm going a little stir crazy."

He checked her vitals. "Everything looks good. I'll sign the papers so you can get outta here."

"Thank you!"

-

Claudia arrived at the mansion just as Johnny was heading out. He glared at her.

"I'm sorry for what I did! Are you gonna make me pay for the rest of my life? Geez!"

Johnny softened a little, but pouted. "I can't stay mad at you. Just stop trying to come between me and Lu Lu, okay?"

"I promise. So, anything interesting happen over here today?"

"Now that you mention it, Uncle Rudy's here. Dad said there was somebody else coming, but I didn't see who it was. I had to get ready for my date."

"Johnny, I need you to stay with me. I need some back up."

"You just said you weren't going to come between me and Lu Lu!"

"There's something you need to know. It's serious. Just call Lu Lu and tell her you have a family emergency. Please."

"I think you better tell me what's going on and then I'll decide whether or not to help you."

"Fine. When I was sixteen I had a baby, a son."

"What?" Johnny gaped at her. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"You were just a kid, Johnny. Plus I didn't want Daddy sinking his claws into him, another heir to try and control… or use for target practice."

Johnny nodded. "I understand."

"Momma was helping me raise him. He was so beautiful, John. So sweet and perfect."

"What happened to him?"

"He died… or so I thought. Uncle Rudy masterminded this plan to get us into hiding because he said Daddy had found out about the baby and was coming for us. But before I could join Momma and my son, there was an accident. Rudy told me they had been killed. He even doctored a newspaper story."

"Wait, you said he made it up. Are you saying your son is alive?"

"Yes!" Claudia wiped away her tears. "My son is alive and has been living here in Port Charles for the last two years!"

"That's great! Have you seen him?"

"I just found out that he and Momma were alive. I saw them at the hospital. He was in a car accident…" She waited for her brother to catch on. "I even donated blood, unaware that I was saving my own son's life."

He stared at her in shock. "Wait a minute. Are you telling me that Spinelli is your son?"

"Yep. That's what I'm saying. Here's the thing. Daddy found out about him and had him kidnapped."

"So that's what he was talking about!"

"What?"

"He said someone needed to see the error of his ways. I thought he was talking about me."

"So he must be here!"

Johnny pulled out his phone and dialed. "Lu Lu? You're not gonna believe this!"

-

Claudia entered her father's office with Johnny by her side. "Hi, Daddy. I believe you have something of mine. I'd like it back."

Anthony gave her an evil grin. "If you're referring to your bastard son, he's not going anywhere."

"Daddy, he's very sick. He needs to be in a hospital." She tried to reason with him, but it was no use.

"I'm really hurt that you never told me about him." He pouted. "We could've had so much fun together. I could've taught him all about roses." He glared at her. "But now he's working for my enemies!"

"Daddy, let me explain." Claudia spoke softly. "I thought he was dead. I would've never kept you from your own grandson. Do you really think I'd be so cruel?"

"You are your mother's daughter," he reminded her.

"Did you hear me? I thought he was dead! Uncle Rudy made me believe he and Momma had died! I only just found out they were alive two days ago!"

"Dad," Johnny chimed in. "What is holding him here going to accomplish? Do you want him to die?"

"Of course not, son! I got him some help. She's upstairs with him right now."

-

Spinelli opened his eyes a bit and could make out a blurry figure beside him. "Maximista?"

"Hey, there, handsome," Liz said sweetly. "Sorry to disappoint you."

"Maternal one? Is that you? My vision seems to be impaired at the moment."

"Yes, it's me. How are you feeling? Any dizziness? Nausea? Pain?"

"Yes, yes and yes," he groaned.

"I sent someone for some supplies. We'll have you feeling better in no time."

"Is Stone Cold here?"

"Jason? No. Do you know where you are?"

He started to say "the hospital" but his memory slowly returned. "Oh, no… No!" He moaned. "This cannot be happening!" He held his hands over his face as his moans turned into sobs. Elizabeth moved to sit beside him and pulled him into her arms, rocking gently. He held onto her like a lifeline, her comforting presence calming him. He calmed down and said softly, "Everything I ever believed was a fabrication, a ruse perpetrated by members of my own family… a family I want no part of."

"So it's true that Anthony Zacchara is your grandfather?"

Spinelli nodded.

"I'm so sorry."

"Did he kidnap you, too?"

"Yeah."

"Stone Cold will find us." He looked up at her with big hopeful eyes.

"I know." Elizabeth smiled down at him.


	16. Chapter 16

Elizabeth ran a cool wet cloth over Spinelli's face and neck, trying to lower his fever, but he really needed those antibiotics. He had been drifting in and out of consciousness for the past hour and just started mumbling in his sleep. She leaned close and tried to make out what he was saying. She murmured, "So much blood?" He must be having another nightmare.

Rudy walked in and dropped a leather satchel at her feet. "There's the stuff you wanted."

Elizabeth immediately rifled through the bag until she found a vial of pills. She quickly opened it and took out a couple. "Spinelli!" she shouted. He awoke with a start and peeked at her through his drooping eyelids. "I'm sorry, sweetie, but you need to take these." She sat on the bed and helped him sit up. She placed the pills between his lips and held up a glass of water. "Here you go." He took a sip and coughed, but managed to get the pills down. After a few more sips of water he drifted off to sleep again. Fortunately the pain medication could be injected.

She looked through the bag again. "Where's the IV?" She demanded of Rudy.

"I couldn't get one. Be happy with what you got," He snarled at her.

Elizabeth gulped.

-

Maxie burst into Jason's office. "Why are you still here? Why aren't you out looking for Spinelli?"

Jason sighed. "Maxie, calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down! My best friend is missing and possibly dying and you're just acting like it's business as usual?"

"No, Maxie, I'm not! I'm worried sick, but I know where he is and he should be safe for the moment."

"For the moment? What the hell does that mean? And if you know where he is, why don't you go and get him?"

"He's with his family."

"His family kidnapped him from the hospital? What sort of people take a critically injured person out of the hospital? That's insane!"

"Yeah, it is. You better sit down for this." Jason motioned to the chair. Maxie did as she was told. "Spinelli just happens to be the long lost grandson of Anthony Zacchara."

Maxie's eyes went wide. "WHAT?"

-

Claudia had been trying to appeal to her father, but it was like talking to a wall. All he cared about was revenge. She took Johnny aside when they left the office. "It's no use. I'm going to have to call Jason."

Trevor Lansing walked up. "Now why on earth would you be calling your father's enemy? This is quite an interesting development."

"My dad is holding Spinelli here against his will," Johnny explained.

"Jason's computer kid? To what end?"

Before Claudia could stop him, Johnny continued, "Turns out Spinelli is Claudia's long lost son."

Claudia held her breath and kept her eyes on her brother.

Trevor frowned. He stared at Claudia, waiting for her to meet his gaze. When she didn't, he nodded. "Does Anthony know the truth?"

Claudia looked at him in fear. "No!"

"Know what? Johnny glanced between Trevor and his sister. "Somebody wanna fill me in here?"

"Claudia? Would you like to tell him or shall I?"

She glared at him with loathing, but spat out the words, "Trevor is Spinelli's father."

-

"No!" Spinelli bolted upright and looked around frantically.

Elizabeth sat on the bed and held him close. "Another nightmare?"

He nodded and clung to her, gasping for air.

"You wanna talk about it? It might help."

"I keep seeing the same thing over and over. Myself and Granny in a car. Somebody runs us off the road and then there's gunfire and blood everywhere."

"That's no dream," Miriam said from the doorway.

Spinelli looked at her in confusion.

Elizabeth gasped. "Are you saying that actually happened?" She held Spinelli tighter.

Miriam nodded. "Damian was barely ten years old. We were taken from our home by two men who supposedly worked for my ex-husband. Rudy--that's Anthony's brother--apparently orchestrated the entire thing, just to keep us in line. Of course killing the two men were just an added bonus for him. He's just as crazy as Anthony, but where Anthony kills because it's a means to an end, Rudy kills for the sheer enjoyment of it."

Elizabeth shivered.

"Why haven't I remembered that until now?" Spinelli asked.

"You were completely traumatized after the incident. When you blocked it out I thought it was for the best. We never spoke of it again."

"Why didn't you tell me about my mother? She's been alive all this time!"

"I thought she didn't want you. I stupidly believed Rudy. My job was to protect you in every way possible. That's what I did. I'm sorry I wasn't honest with you. I hope you can forgive me."

"But she came to see me. Why didn't she tell me who she was?"

"She wanted to," Claudia said sadly.

Spinelli looked past his grandmother at the woman formerly known as Vixenella. He was now living a Greek tragedy all his own.

-

Johnny stared at Trevor with disgust. "You and my sister? She was just a kid!"

"She was sixteen and already quite experienced. I let her seduce me. I'll admit it wasn't my finest moment."

"Well, now you have a new son. Considering how you treat your other one, I'm wondering if you'll do anything to help this one." They both peeked into the bedroom. Spinelli was sitting up in bed with Elizabeth Webber holding him protectively like a momma bear.

Trevor stared at the kid. "I can't believe I never noticed the resemblance before." He turned and walked away, while Johnny watched the scene unfold before him.

Spinelli stared at Claudia for the longest time, his mind not wanting to accept the truth. "You're my mother? How can that be? You don't appear to be old enough."

Claudia smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment." When he didn't smile back, she frowned. "I was sixteen and impulsive, trying to get my father's attention and failing miserably. Getting pregnant was a mistake, but having you was not. You were the greatest gift I ever received." She stepped closer. "You were my pride and joy. My whole life. When Uncle Rudy told me you were dead it destroyed me."

"You thought I was dead?"

Claudia glanced at her mother. "You didn't tell him?"

"I was about to." She held out her hand to Claudia, who accepted it with a gentle squeeze.

"Honey, if I had known you and Momma were alive, there would have been nothing... NOTHING... that could keep me away from you."

Spinelli's eyes filled with tears. All his life he had thought he wasn't important enough for his parents to care.

Claudia let her own tears fall. "I didn't abandon you. I know I messed things up between us, but I love you and I hope you'll give me the chance to make up for lost time." Claudia watched the play of emotions across her son's face. When he broke down in tears, she couldn't stay away another moment. She rushed to his side and traded places with Elizabeth. She held her son and cried with him for all the years of pain they had endured.

-

"You're lying," Maxie said. "I don't believe you! Spinelli is not related to that creep!"

"It's true, Maxie. Claudia told me the whole story. She wants to talk to her father first to prevent a war. I promise you I won't wait long."

"You better not, or I'm telling my dad!"

Just then Jason's bodyguard announced Trevor Lansing. "Send him in," Jason said.

Without any sort of greeting, Trevor said "I need you to help my son."

"Why the hell would I help Ric?"

"Not Ric. Spinelli.


	17. Chapter 17

Jason stared blankly at Trevor. "Say that again?"

"Damian Spinelli is my son."

Maxie shook her head. "This is sick, even by my standards," she mumbled.

"You're telling me that you and Claudia—"

"Yes, Claudia and I were together once upon a time. Now can we please get back to the matter at hand?"

"I don't understand why you can't just go and get him yourself. You and Anthony are friends."

"He's been freezing me out for months. He hired Ric because he can be controlled. I can't and that drives him crazy… well crazier. I'm concerned he might do something to harm Spinelli—"

"Why do you even care what happens to Spinelli? You sure never gave a damn about your other son."

"Let's just say I need to make amends… for a lot of things."

"Fine. What do you suggest we do? The place is like a fortress."

Trevor sat down. "I'm going to give you the keys to the kingdom." He handed Jason a thick legal folder.

Jason took it and looked through it. Then he looked at Trevor with wide eyes.

"What is it?" Maxie asked.

"Bring this to your father right away." Jason handed her the file.

"Is it going to help Spinelli?"

"It's going to help all of us."

-

Elizabeth wiped away a tear as she watched Spinelli come to the realization that he hadn't been abandoned, that he had been wanted and cherished by his mother. She didn't know Claudia Zacchara, but from what she could see the woman appeared to be fiercely protective, not unlike herself. She walked over to Mrs. Spinelli, who was also wiping away tears. Elizabeth put a comforting arm around her. Miriam gave her a thankful smile. "Everything is going to be okay now," she said weakly.

"Yes," Elizabeth agreed. "I believe that."

Spinelli clung to Claudia. "I thought I was unworthy of anyone's love if my own mother didn't love me."

"I always loved you! I have been so lost without you all these years, my Damiano. I thank God that we've been given a second chance." She kissed his forehead and held him tighter.

-

Anthony sat behind his desk, his psychotic grin made him look eerily like Batman's nemesis, The Joker. He crossed his hands behind his head and leaned back in his wheelchair. Then he looked around and when he was sure he was alone, he stood up and walked over to the bar to pour himself a victory drink. He lifted it in a toast. "To making my family stronger!"

"Anthony Zacchara, you are under arrest for murder, kidnapping and other crimes too numerous to mention."

Anthony turned in surprise to see Commissioner Scorpio holding out a warrant. His officers had their guns drawn and he chuckled. "Is that really necessary? I'm just a weak old man. I can barely walk."

"Looks like you're doing a pretty good job to me," Mac retorted. He pulled out his walkie-talkie and ordered his other men to make a sweep of the area to search for any more of Zacchara's men.

-

Claudia watched her son sleep. He had been drifting in and out of consciousness. She turned to Elizabeth. "His fever is still high. What's going on? Why aren't the antibiotics working?"

Elizabeth touched Spinelli's forehead and frowned. "It's possible the drugs are counterfeit. Someone's been replacing the pills in the hospital for months, but the police haven't had any luck finding the ones responsible."

"So you're saying my son isn't going to get better because we don't have anything here to treat him with?"

"I'm so sorry. I wish there was something more I could do."

"Well, we have to do something. We have to get him back to the hospital somehow!"

Just then Johnny burst through the door. "You're not going to believe this! The cops have the place surrounded! I just saw Dad get hauled away in handcuffs and he was WALKING!"

"That bastard! Good riddance," Claudia fumed.

Elizabeth ran out of the room and down the stairs, yelling for help. Jason was waiting for her. "Jason!" She ran to his arms.

He squeezed her tight. "Trevor told me you were here. Thank god you're alright! How's Spinelli?"

"He's not doing so good. We have to get him to the hospital."

"There's an ambulance waiting." Jason motioned to the paramedics.

"Follow me." Elizabeth led them upstairs.

Claudia went to Spinelli. "Come on, let's get him out of here! Can you carry him, John?" She helped Johnny lift Spinelli into his arms. He struggled with the younger man's weight, but managed to get him out into the hall. Thankfully Elizabeth appeared with help. The paramedics helped Johnny get Spinelli onto the stretcher. Jason touched his friend's face as they carried him past.

"Is he going to be okay?" He hugged Elizabeth to him.

"I hope so."

-

Maxie was waiting at the hospital. She had filled Patrick in on everything that was happening at the Zacchara estate. He had a trauma team ready and waiting for the Spinelli's arrival. The call came in from the ambulance and they all rallied. Maxie tried to get a glimpse of her best friend as he was rushed into a cubicle. Elizabeth followed close behind, relaying details of his condition over the last several hours. Jason came in next, looking around for a sign of his friend. Maxie went to him. "He's in that room over there. Everybody came running in. He didn't look good, Jason," she whimpered.

Jason put his arms around her, offering what little comfort he could. "You did good, Maxie. Mac showed up just in time. Anthony won't have another chance to get to Spinelli."

"What about the other guy?"

"Rudy was captured, as well. Spinelli is safe… at least from his family. We'll just have to wait and see about his injuries."

Johnny and Claudia arrived a few minutes later. They had to answer some questions before they were allowed to leave the house. Claudia walked over to Jason and Maxie. "Has there been any word on Spinelli?"

"Not yet."

"There's Patrick," Maxie exclaimed. She walked over to him. "How is he?"

Patrick waited for the others to join them. "Spinelli has a high fever caused by an infection. He's being moved back to ICU so we can monitor him closely. He's still unconscious, but I'll allow one visitor at a time to sit with him."

"Please take me to him," Maxie begged. "I need to see him."

Patrick didn't get an argument from anyone else, so he took Maxie to Spinelli's room. We have him on antibiotics and fluids. Right now rest is the best thing for him."

"I'll be quiet. I just want to sit with him." Maxie watched Patrick leave then turned her attention to Spinelli. "I was so scared," she whispered. "But you're safe now and you will be better in no time." She touched his hot forehead and smiled sadly.

-

Claudia tapped Jason's arm. "This is not how I imagined you rescuing Spinelli, but it sure worked. How the hell did you manage to take out my father at the same time?"

Jason shrugged. "I didn't."

"You're telling me it was just a coincidence that the cops showed up at the same time?"

"No. It was Trevor."

"Trevor?" Claudia was speechless. She glanced at Johnny, who was clearly in shock.

"He did it for you, Claudia," Jason added.

"Where is he now?"

"I told him to tell my pilot to take him wherever he wanted to go. He had to leave the country because the evidence he gave me implicated him as well."

"He gave himself up to save his son?"

"That doesn't sound like Trevor," Johnny said.

Jason shrugged. "Whatever. He's gone. He did leave this for you." He handed an envelope to Johnny.

Johnny furrowed his brow and pulled out a letter. He read it silently and then let it slip from his fingers, his face turning white as a ghost. "I gotta get outta here."

"John?" Claudia reached out to him, but he raised his hands to wave her away before he walked slowly out the door. Claudia picked up the letter and read it aloud. "Dear John, by the time you read this I will be out of the country, and possibly out of your life for good. I know you're most likely overjoyed at that thought. However there is one little fact that you need to know. Anthony Zacchara is not your father. I am. And I have watched over you since the day you were born. I believe Anthony knew the truth, which is why he shot Maria. So please stop blaming yourself for her death. If anyone is to blame it's me. I hope someday you will find it in your heart to forgive me. Please watch over your brother and Claudia. I did care about her, despite what she thinks. Trevor."

Claudia clutched the letter in her hand and wavered on her feet. Jason helped her to a chair. "You okay?"

"Trevor is Johnny's father? That means he's not my brother." She shook her head. "And Trevor actually cared about me? Wow. I didn't think he cared about anything but power."

"He gave it all up for you, Claudia."

"Oh, I'm sure he's been stealing from my dad all these years. He probably has a nice little Swiss bank account that will keep him in Armani suits for the rest of his life." She snickered. "Thank you for your help, Jason."

"I did it for Spinelli."

"Of course you did. But as his mother I get to say thank you, okay?"

"Well, you're welcome." He sat next to Claudia, while they awaited Maxie's return.

-

TBC


End file.
